For this reason, it is very important to see your ophthalmologist at the first sign of trouble. Reviewed by Grant M. Comer, M. Updated visitor guidelines. Detached Retina Retinal Detachment. What is a detached retina and what are the causes? Symptoms Floaters Flashing lights Gray curtain or veil moving across your field of vision The symptoms described above may not necessarily mean that you have a detached retina. Causes The vitreous is the clear collagen gel that fills the eye between the retina and the lens.
Risk Factors A detached retina can occur at any age, but it is more common in midlife and later. Treatment and Drugs Retinal Tears Retinal holes or tears will usually need to be treated with laser treatment or cryotherapy freezing , to seal the retina to the back wall of the eye again.
These treatments cause little or no discomfort and may be performed in your ophthalmologist's office. This treatment will usually prevent progression to a retinal detachment. Occasionally retinal tears are watched without treatment.
Detached Retina Retinal detachments may require surgery to return the retina to its proper position in the back of the eye. There are several ways to fix a detached retina. The decision of which type of surgery and anesthesia local or general to use depends upon the characteristics of the retinal detachment. In each of the following methods, your ophthalmologist will locate any retinal tears and use laser surgery or cryotherapy freezing around them to seal the tear.
Surgery for a Detached Retina Pneumatic retinopexy Pneumatic retinopexy describes the injection of a gas bubble into the vitreous space inside the eye enabling the gas bubble to push the retinal tear back against the wall of the eye and close the tear. Laser or cryosurgery is used to secure the retina to the eye wall around the retinal tear. Your ophthalmologist will ask you to maintain a certain head position for several days.
The gas bubble will gradually disappear. It requires removing the vitreous gel inside the eye. The vitrectomy may release tension on the retina, allowing it to move back into its proper position where it can be reattached. Once the vitreous is removed, a gas bubble is placed inside the eye to keep the retina in place until it is healed. One to two weeks of recovery time is typically required after retinal detachment surgery. If the surgery involved inserting a gas bubble into the eye to apply pressure to the retina, the patient must often spend much of the recovery time facedown.
During the recovery period, patients should avoid driving, heavy lifting and watching TV. Patients with nonactive jobs can typically return to work after two weeks. If not treated quickly, a retinal detachment can cause partial or total vision loss so prompt treatment is essential.
Some eye injuries can damage the retina and cause detachment. You can reduce your risk of these types of injuries if you:. Diabetes puts you at greater risk for developing diabetic retinopathy , an eye disease that can lead to tractional retinal detachment. If you have diabetes, you can help control and prevent eye problems by having regular eye exams and by keeping your blood sugar levels within a target range. Treating a retinal tear can often prevent retinal detachment, but not all tears need treatment.
The decision to treat a tear depends on whether the tear is likely to progress to a detachment. After surgery to repair retinal detachment, your doctor may give you specific instructions to help your eye recover. You may need to rest and sleep with your head in a certain position, for example.
And you may be asked to wear an eye patch or use eyedrops. Some types of surgery to treat retinal detachments involve injecting a small bubble of gas into the eye. Afterward, you may need to keep your head in a certain position for a few days or weeks, so that the gas bubble won't move. Also, you may need to avoid air travel until your eye has healed and the bubble is gone, because the changes in air pressure may cause pain and affect your eye.
If you have reduced vision after treatment, your eye doctor can help you learn ways to keep your independence and continue the activities you enjoy. Surgery is the only treatment for retinal detachment. The goals of surgery are:. Almost all retinal detachments can be repaired with scleral buckle surgery, pneumatic retinopexy, or vitrectomy.
But it is important to act quickly. The longer you wait to have surgery, the lower the chances that good vision will be restored. When the retina loses contact with its supporting layers, vision begins to get worse.
An eye doctor ophthalmologist who specializes in retinal detachments will usually do surgery within a few days of your being diagnosed with a detachment. How soon you need surgery usually depends on whether the retinal detachment has or could spread far enough to affect central vision.
When the macula , the part of the retina that provides central vision, loses contact with the layer beneath it, it quickly loses its ability to process what the eye sees. Your doctor will decide how soon you need surgery based on the result of the retinal exam and the doctor's experience in treating retinal detachment.
Treating a retinal tear may be useful if the tear is likely to lead to detachment. Symptoms such as floaters or flashing lights are key factors in deciding whether to treat a tear. A tear that occurs right after a posterior vitreous detachment PVD with symptoms is usually much more dangerous and more likely to progress to a retinal detachment than one that occurs without symptoms. In deciding when to treat a retinal tear, your doctor will evaluate whether the torn retina is likely to detach.
If the tear is very likely to lead to detachment, treatment can usually repair it and prevent detachment and potential vision loss. If the tear is not likely to lead to detachment, you may not need treatment. You have several surgical options to repair a retinal detachment. Their success in restoring good vision varies from case to case. The cause, location, and type of detachment usually determine which surgery will work best. Other conditions or eye problems may also play a role when you choose the best type of surgery.
You may need more than one surgery to reattach the retina if scar tissue from the first surgery grows over the surface of your retina. After surgery, you may need to use antibiotic eyedrops and corticosteroid medicines for a short time. Author: Healthwise Staff. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor.
Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
Updated visitor guidelines. You are here Home » Retinal Detachment. Top of the page. Topic Overview What is retinal detachment? What causes retinal detachment?
What are the symptoms? How is retinal detachment diagnosed? How is it treated? Health Tools Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
Actionsets are designed to help people take an active role in managing a health condition. Cause Causes of retinal detachment are: Tears or holes in the retina.
These may lead to retinal detachment by allowing fluid from the middle of the eye vitreous gel to collect under the retina. A common cause of retinal tears is posterior vitreous detachment PVD. An eye or head injury or other eye disorders, such as lattice degeneration, a condition in which the retina becomes very thin, may also cause tears or holes in the retina. Traction on the retina. If tissue builds up between the vitreous gel and the retina, it can pull the retina away from the back of the eye.
The most common cause of this problem is proliferative diabetic retinopathy , a condition that leads to the growth of scar tissue that can pull on the retina. Fluid buildup under the retina. Fluid buildup under the retina can cause the retina to come off the back of the eye. Fluid buildup may be caused by inflammation or disease in the retina, in the layer just beneath the retina choroid , in blood vessels, or in tissues in the eye. For more information about and pictures of the eye and how it works, see Eye Anatomy and Function.
Symptoms Most cases of retinal detachment begin with a retinal tear. A retinal tear or another eye problem may cause: Floaters in your field of vision. Floaters are thick strands or clumps of solid vitreous gel that develop as the gel ages and breaks down.
Floaters often appear as dark specks, globs, strings, or dots. Floaters may also be caused by loose blood or pigment from tears in the retina. Flashes of light or sparks when you move your eyes or head. These are easier to see against a dark background. The brief flashes occur when the vitreous gel tugs on the retina vitreous traction.
These flashes usually appear at the edge of your visual field. In rare cases, a retinal detachment can occur without warning. The first signs may be: A shadow or curtain effect across part of your visual field that does not go away. Because detachments usually affect peripheral side vision first, you may not notice a problem until the detachment has gotten bigger. New or sudden vision loss.
Vision loss caused by retinal detachment tends to get worse over time. Sudden vision loss is a medical emergency.
0コメント