Eye Health: Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment is a very serious condition that occurs when the retina pulls away from its supporting tissues. Since the retina can't work properly under these conditions, permanent vision loss may occur if a detachment is not repaired within 24 to 72 hours

Who's at Risk for Retinal Detachment?

Retinal detachment is considered a risk for the following groups of people:

• Nearsighted adults
• People who have had an eye injury or post-cataract extraction surgery
• People with a family history of retinal detachment

Retinal detachment may also be spontaneous. This occurs more often in the elderly or in very nearsighted people.

What Are the Symptoms of Retinal Detachment?

Symptoms of retinal detachment include:

• Flashes of light
• Showering effect of floaters (small flecks or threads) in the visual field.
• Darkening of the peripheral visual field.

There is no pain associated with retinal detachment, but if you experience any of the above listed symptoms, contact your eye doctor immediately.

How Is Retinal Detachment Diagnosed?

Retinal detachment is diagnosed through an eye exam by a retinal specialist.

How Is Retinal Detachment Treated?

There are numerous approaches to treating retinal detachment. These include:

• Laser (thermal) or freezing (cryopexy). Both of these approaches can repair a detached retina if it is diagnosed early enough.
• Pneumatic retinopexy. This procedure can be used to treat retinal detachment if the tear is small and easy to close. A small gas bubble is injected into the vitreous where it then rises and presses against the retina, closing the tear. A laser or cryopexy can then be used to seal the tear. This procedure is 85% successful.
• Scleral buckle. This treatment for retinal detachment involves placing a silicone band (buckle)around the eye to hold the retina in place. This band is not visible and remains permanently attached. Thermal treatment may then be necessary to close the tear. This procedure is effective as high as 95% of the time.
• Vitrectomy. This procedure for retinal detachment is used for large tears. During a vitrectomy the vitreous is removed from the eye and replaced with a saline solution. It has similar success rates to the scleral buckle.

Can Retinal Detachment Be Prevented?

Early diagnosis is key to preventing vision loss associated with retinal detachment. It is important to get your eyes checked annually, and more often if you are at increased risk of having eye disease. For example, in diseases with a high incidence of retinal disease, such as diabetes, routine eye examinations can detect early changes in the eye that a person may not be aware of. In addition, good control of diabetes can help prevent diabetic eye disease and blood pressure control can prevent hypertension from damaging the retinal blood vessels.

In addition, regular eye exams are important for people who are nearsighted, and more prone to detachment.

If you are unsure about your risk of retinal detachment, talk to your eye doctor. He or she can tell you how often you should have your eyes examined.

Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute.