Which of the following is a possible post-operative complication of cataract surgery?

• A. Retinal detachment
• B. Corneal edema
• C. Macular edema
• D. Optic neuropathy

Answer: (A)

Cataract surgery can affect the back part of the eye as well as the front, and retinal detachment is a recognized, potentially vision-threatening complication that can occur after the procedure. During surgery the vitreous body can shift or traction on the retina may change, and if there are preexisting retinal breaks or degenerations, fluid can pass under the retina and cause detachment. This can happen weeks to months after surgery, so any new floaters, flashes of light, or a shadow or curtain across the vision warrants urgent evaluation for possible RD and treatment to reattach the retina.

Corneal edema and macular edema are also possible after cataract surgery, but they are more common anterior- or middle-segment issues arising from corneal endothelial stress or inflammatory changes, and they don’t carry the same posterior-segment, vision-threatening profile as retinal detachment. Optic neuropathy is not a typical postoperative complication of cataract extraction.