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Eye Health and Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment is a very serious condition that occurs when the retina separates from its underlying tissues. Since the retina can't work properly under these conditions, permanent vision loss may occur if a detachment is not repaired promptly.

Who's at Risk for a Detached Retina?

A detached retina 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 a Detached Retina?

Symptoms of a detached retina 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.

A retinal detachment is commonly preceded by one or more "tears" in the retina. When fluid from within the eye passes through the tear, and separates the retina from it’s underlying tissue, it is a true detachment.

How Is a Detached Retina Diagnosed?

A detached retina is diagnosed through a dilated eye exam.

How Is a Detached Retina Treated?

There are numerous approaches to treating a detached retina. These include:

Laser (thermal) or freezing (cryopexy). Both of these approaches can repair a tear in the retina if it is diagnosed early enough. This procedure is often done in the doctor's office.
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 -- the clear gelatinous substance between the lens and the retina -- 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 surgically 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 surgery 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 a Detached Retina Be Prevented?

Early diagnosis is key to preventing vision loss associated with a detached retina. 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 exams 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 damage to 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.

WebMD Medical Reference

Reviewed by Mark Mohney, MD on October 30, 2011