Retinal Detachment

What is a retinal detachment?

The retina is a thin layer of light-sensitive nerve tissue that lines the back of your eye. When light passes through the natural lens of your eye, it is focused onto the retina. Specialized cells in the retina convert that light into electrical impulses that are transmitted to the brain along your optic nerve. Your brain interprets these signals and then forms a visual image that you can identify.

A retinal detachment occurs when the retina pulls away from its normal position at the back of your eye. This separates the retina from the blood vessels that provide its oxygen and nourishment. If left untreated, retinal cells can die, and vision loss in the affected eye may become permanent.

What causes retinal detachment?

A retinal detachment typically starts with a tear or break in the retina. A tear may be caused by excessive traction or pressure on the retina due to:

• Trauma
• High myopia (severe nearsightedness)
• Inflammatory or infectious conditions of the eye
• Changes in the consistency of the vitreous, which causes it to tug on the retina, most often related to aging

If the fluid within your eye seeps under retina through a tear or a break, your retina separates from its normal position and becomes a retinal detachment.

What are the symptoms of retinal detachment?

Retinal detachment is painless, but may have warning signs before it occurs, including:

• Sudden and dramatic increase in eye floaters
• Random flashes of light in one or both eyes
• Decreased side (peripheral vision)
• A curtain-like shadow or dark cloud obstructing your central or peripheral vision

Contact Retina Associates of New York immediately if you notice any of these symptoms

How do you treat retinal detachment?

Depending on the location and severity of the retinal detachment, your physician may choose one of several techniques to repair the retinal.  This may include laser; pneumatic retinopexy, in which a gas bubble is injected into the eye to push the retina back into place; or surgical repair. Surgical interventions may include vitrectomy surgery to remove the vitreous from the eye and prevent further traction on the retina, injection of a gas or silicone bubble to push the retina in place, or a scleral buckle, where a silicone band is placed around the eye to push the wall of the eye against the retina. Your surgeon will discuss these treatment options with you.

Call Retina Associates of New York immediately if you’re experiencing symptoms of a retinal tear or detachment.