Intraocular Surgery and Choroidal Hemorrhage

Every ophthalmologist who performs intraocular surgery over a number of years is likely to encounter the drama of expulsive choroidal hemorrhage. This complication has been estimated to occur in two of every 1,000 cases of cataract extraction.1In this issue of theArchives, two other closely related complications, delayed nonexpulsive suprachoroidal hemorrhage2and limited choroidal hemorrhage,3are reported. See also pp 1757 and 1761. Hemorrhage into the suprachoroidal space is, fortunately, not a common occurrence, but suprachoroidal effusion of limited extent and duration is a sequela of almost every operative procedure of the eye. An understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the ciliochoroidal space helps put ciliochoroidal detachments of all kinds into perspective.4 The middle and outer coats of the eye are in intimate contact, separated only by a thin layer of fluid. However, these two surfaces are not rigidly adherent to each other, and