Retinal Detachment...?!

Retinal Detachment...?

Can I get a retinal detachment after I get LASIK or Phakic IOL's? Since, technically, you are at 20/20 vision, doesn't the risk of a retinal detachment go away?

Also, are retinal detachments common or rare in children with a high prescription?

Retinal detachments happen for a variety of reasons, but they have not been proven to be linked to LASIK/PRK, but have shown a slight increase of risk with intraocular lenses (I have not seen anything that references to the implantable contact lenses, only with cataract removal and intraocular lens placement).

I have been a moderate myope (-8.25 in one eye and -7.75 in the other) my entire life until my PRK last week. And that was actually one of my questions...would PRK increase my chances of a retinal detachment? I was told no.

I was also told that moderate and high myopes have a naturally higher risk with or without any ocular surgeries of having a retinal detachment occur, usually later in life. I've been told that I have myopic lattice degeneration in the "far periphery" of my retina and that also makes me a little higher risk for retinal detachment.

Your visual acuity (vision) doesn't have much to do with your risk for other anatomic ocular problems. Poor vision can be a symptom of other ocular problems (usually is), but not a cause.