Detached Retina

A detached retina is a serious condition that occurs when the retina gets separated from the supportive tissue underlying it. The retina loses its ability to function when it becomes detached, and if it is not reattached soon, it can result in permanent loss of vision.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Retinal Detachment?

Some of the warning signs of a detached retina are sudden occurrences of flashes of light, floaters, and spots in the eyes. The vision might get poorer or become blurry. Another symptom is seeing a curtain or a shadow coming across from the side of the eye or coming down from the top. These symptoms may occur all of a sudden, in case the retina detaches suddenly, or it may be a more gradual process as the retina slowly detaches from the tissue supporting it.

A detached retina does not cause any pain. Hence, if the above symptoms occur, an ophthalmologist, or eye doctor, needs to be consulted immediately. Prompt treatment increases the chances of regaining loss of vision.

What are the Causes of a Detached Retina?

A detached retina can be caused by various factors such as a high degree of nearsightedness, or an injury to the face or eye. The eyeballs in people with extreme nearsightedness are longer, accompanied by thinner retinas, which are more susceptible to getting detached. Sometimes, a detached retina may also occur following LASIK surgery performed on very nearsighted people. However, this is rare, according to a study conducted on over 1,500 patients who had had LASIK surgery, just four of them suffered the detachment of their retina.

Retinal detach may also occur due to systemic diseases like sickle cell disease and diabetes, or eye diseases, tumors in the eye, and cataract surgery. When new blood vessels grow under the retina, which can occur in diseases like diabetic retinopathy, it may result in pushing the retina away from its underlying supportive tissue as well. Occasionally, the movement of fluids in the eye can also result in detaching the retina.

How can Retinal Detachment be Treated?

The detached retina can be treated by it being reattached by an eye surgeon. Laser photocoagulation, a technique by which leaking blood vessels can be sealed off and at the same time destroying the growth of new blood vessels, is another method of reattaching the retina.

Silicone oil is also injected in the eye by some eye surgeons so that the detached retina can be kept in place. Pneumatic retinopexy, which is a treatment that is similar, involving a bubble of gas being injected in the vitreous humor, which is the clear and colorless gel that fills the posterior portion of the eyeball, can also be used. This achieves the purpose by the gas bubble expanding and pressing against the retina, thereby holding it against the supportive tissue. After that, photocoagulation or cryosurgery can be used to reattach the retina permanently.

The loss of vision due to retinal detachment can sometimes be regained after treatment. The faster the retinal reattachment procedure is carried out, the higher the chances of recovering vision.