Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment means your retina is coming away from its place at the back of your eye, which can cause acute sight loss. An urgent repair is essential, so if you experience sudden vision problems, you need immediate treatment. Fortunately, Hetal Vaishnav, MD, Gary Ganiban, MD, and the team at Atlantic Retina Consultants can help. With branches located in Melbourne, Merritt Island, Palm Bay, Titusville, and Rockledge, Florida, patients benefit from eye care that is unrivaled in excellence at convenient locations. Call the nearest Atlantic Retina Consultants office or book your appointment online today. 

What is a retinal detachment? 

A retinal detachment occurs when the retina in the back of your eye separates from the lining of the eyeball.

The retina is the part of your eye that sends information to your brain via the optic nerve. It‘s the transmission point for the images your eye is seeing, relaying the data received through the cornea and focused by the lens.

Inside your eye is a liquid jelly called the vitreous. If the retina gets torn or otherwise damaged, the vitreous can leak through the tear. It gets behind the retina and pushes it away from the inside of your eyeball, so the retina isn’t receiving the blood supply it needs.

Is retinal detachment serious?

Retinal detachment can be very serious. It’s vital to repair any retinal tears and reattach the retina, or lack of blood supply could cause permanent damage. Retinal detachment can lead to blindness if the damage isn’t repaired. It can also be painful, and the eye might shrink and have to be removed.

After successful reattachment of your retina, your vision should improve, and half of the patients treated are able to read following retina repair. However, in some cases, there’s no improvement in vision because the retina has permanent damage.

Your provider at Atlantic Retina Consultants can record the degree of retinal detachment and monitor it over time using a fundus camera to take color retina photography images.

How is retinal detachment treated? 

It’s possible to fix smaller retinal detachments using laser technology. A laser isn’t suitable for anything but the slightest tears, however, so having surgery is usually the best option.

There are three types of retinal detachment surgery:

Scleral buckle

A scleral buckle is a silicone band that encircles your eye. It works by pushing the outer wall of your eye towards the lining at the point of retinal separation. The buckle can stay in permanently unless it causes any problems. The scleral buckle procedure is an outpatient operation.

Pneumatic retinopexy

Pneumatic retinopexy involves inserting a small bubble of gas into your eye to push the lining back against the outer wall. Pneumatic retinopexy is only suitable for retinal detachments where the tear is in the upper retina. The advantage of pneumatic retinopexy is that it’s an in-office procedure.

Vitrectomy

Vitrectomy involves removing the vitreous and inserting a large gas bubble to push the retina back against the outer wall. You don’t need the vitreous as an adult, so removing it isn’t a problem.

Once the retina’s back where it should be, the team at Atlantic Retina Consultants fixes it into place using a laser or cryopexy. In some cases, they combine these procedures to achieve the best results.

Find out more about retinal detachment by calling Atlantic Retina Consultants or requesting a consultation online today.