The retina lifts
The retina is the thin, clear layer at the back of the eye that works like camera film. In a detachment, its inner layers and light-sensing cells pull away from the retinal pigment epithelium beneath them.
Retinal detachment
surgery in Korea
An eye emergency only you can see
Retinal detachment happens when the retina peels away from the inner wall of the eye. If it spreads to the macula, blindness can follow, so it is treated as an emergency. At Sky Eye Clinic in Seoul, the retina team examines you and explains laser, vitrectomy, scleral buckling and gas options.
No one can see a detachment by looking at you. Only you feel the signs, so act on them quickly.
Warning Signs
Signs that need an exam now
Get examined immediately if you notice
- Floaters that drift like small insects
- Photopsia: bursts of light like a camera going off, or glowing balls that roll across your view
- A curtain effect, as if something dark is dropping over your view
- A sudden loss of vision
What Happens
What a detachment is
Why the macula matters
Once the detachment reaches the macula at the center, nourishment and blood supply fail and sight can be lost. That is why speed matters.
Risk
Who is at higher risk
Detachment is no longer only a problem of older eyes; younger people now get it often as well. High myopia calls for particular care.
- Aging
- Previous eye surgery
- A family history of retinal problems
- An injury to the eye
Types
Three ways it happens
Rhegmatogenous
A tear or hole forms through injury, surgery, high myopia or age. Vitreous fluid slips through it and lifts the retina.
Tractional
Membranes left by diabetic retinopathy, uveitis, high blood pressure, retinal vasculitis or retinopathy of prematurity pull the retina away.
Exudative
Fluid gathers under the retina because of retinal or choroidal disease. It spreads slowly from the edges, rarely causes symptoms and tends to be discovered incidentally.
Treatment
Laser first, surgery if it spreads
A detachment caught at an early, limited stage is treated straight away with laser photocoagulation. Once it has progressed, one of three operations is needed.
Scleral buckling
A silicone band is fixed to the sclera, the outer shell of the eye, and tightened so it presses the retina back into place. When the tear closes, the fluid beneath is absorbed and the retina settles where it belongs.
Vitrectomy
The surgeon works through tiny openings, takes out the vitreous gel and fills the space with gas or oil that presses the retina flat.
The retina returns to position faster, but you need to hold a set head position for a period while it heals.
Pneumatic retinopexy
A large bubble of gas is placed in the middle of the eye. Its main uses are tears in the upper outer retina, macular holes, a retina that detaches again after scleral buckling, and bleeding.
As with vitrectomy, you rest in a set position for a period afterwards.
Surgery
How the repairs work
Which method suits you depends on the type of detachment and how far it has spread, and recovery differs from eye to eye. If gas or oil is used, the head position you keep afterwards is part of the treatment.
Detachment can follow diabetic retinopathy or uveitis. A different membrane problem is explained on the epiretinal membrane page.
FAQ
Questions about retinal detachment
What are the warning signs?
New floaters, flashes, a shadow like a curtain over your view, or sight that suddenly drops. Any one of them is a reason to be examined quickly.
Who is more at risk?
High myopia, age, earlier eye surgery, retinal problems in the family and injury to the eye all raise the risk.
How is an early detachment treated?
When it is caught while still small and limited, it is sealed with laser photocoagulation straight away.
Will I have to keep a certain position after surgery?
Yes, after vitrectomy or pneumatic retinopexy you rest in a specific position for a period so the retina can heal.
Related
Keep reading
01
Retina Center overview
All seven retinal and glaucoma conditions we treat.
view
02
Diabetic retinopathy
A common source of tractional detachment.
view
03
Epiretinal membrane
A thin film on the retina that distorts vision.
view
04
Ask about an exam
Send your questions before you plan a visit.
view
