For this reason, it is vital that medical advice is sought as soon as possible if you have symptoms of retinal detachment. This is commonly due to irreparable damage to the retinal cells that occurred when the retina detached and before treatment was sought. Sometimes, vision may remain poor even when the retina is successfully reattached. This may mean you need to have another operation. In some eyes, the retina may redetach due to the development of new retinal tears or scarring on the surface of the retina. However, repairing a detached retina is not always successful. The gas usually takes about 10 days to resorb and air travel is not possible during this period.Īround nine out of 10 retinal detachments are successfully repaired with a single operation. Your surgeon will tell you what position you need to hold your head in and for how long. This is so that the bubble is in the right place to support the healing retina. If a gas bubble is used, you will need to hold your head in a certain position following surgery. Often a gas bubble is placed inside the eye to help hold the retina steady while it is healing. This usually involves the use of a laser to 'spot weld' the retina back on. If central vision has already been lost, the timing of surgery is less critical. Surgery involves reattaching the retina on the inside of the eye. If your central vision has not been affected, retinal detachment repair should be carried out as soon as possible. Most people with retinal detachment need surgery. In most cases, there is no clear trigger. It is more common in patients with myopia (short sightedness), the elderly and those with a family history of retinal detachment. Any of these symptoms on their own may indicate other. There are about 400 cases of retinal detachment per year in New Zealand. A detached retina is painless, so the first signs you will notice are changes in your vision, such as. This can be a complication of diabetic eye or other eye diseases. Rarely, fluid can seep out of blood vessels in the eye and cause the retina to be separated.Ī retinal detachment can also be caused by an injury or trauma to the eye. The scar tissue can tug on the retina, causing it to pull away from the underlying tissue. As the vitreous shrinks, it pulls the retina away from the back of the eye.Īnother cause of retinal detachment is scar tissue caused by inflammation. The most common cause of retinal tears is the shrinking of the vitreous (a thick, jelly-like substance within the eyeball that keeps it firm). This creates pressure within the retina which causes the rods and cones to become separated from the underlying tissue. Retinal detachment occurs when small holes or tears occur in the retina and allow fluid to seep inside. Image credit: 123rf Causes of retinal detachment If the retina is damaged, the image will be distorted. The retina makes a picture from the light and sends this image to the brain via the optic nerve. Light enters the eye and is focused on the retina by the lens. It is made up of light-sensitive cells called rods and cones, which detect shape and colour. The retina is the innermost wall of the eye.
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