We investigated the incidence of retinal lesions before and after surgery and the percentage of preoperative prophylactic laser treatment in patients who underwent corneal refractive surgery or phakic intraocular lens implantation (pIOLi).

The medical records of patients who underwent refractive surgery from January 2005 to June 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. We investigated the incidence and type of retinal lesions identified during the preoperative examination. Additionally, the percentage of preoperative prophylactic laser treatment and the incidence of postoperative newly developed retinal lesions were analyzed.

A total of 894 eyes of 466 subjects (laser in situ keratomileusis [LASIK] 225 eyes, 117 subjects; laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy [LASEK] or photorefractive keratectomy [PRK] 450 eyes, 231 subjects; pIOLi 219 eyes, 121 subjects) were enrolled in the present study. Retinal lesions were found in 268 eyes (29.98%) and of those, 144 eyes (16.11%) received prophylactic laser treatment. Postoperative newly developed retinal lesions were detected in 8 cases (LASEK or PRK, 5 cases; pIOLi, 3 cases) during the follow-up period. There was a significant correlation between preoperative spherical equivalent and the presence of retinal lesions.

The patient population of refractive surgery is largely myopic and thus particularly vulnerable to retinal lesions. Additionally, a considerable number of patients required preoperative prophylactic laser treatment. Therefore, both surgeons and patients should be aware of the risks of developing postoperative retinal lesions.