Retinal Detachment

What is a retinal detachment?

The retina is the sensory tissue that lines the back wall of the eye. It can be described as the wallpaper of the back of your eye. A retinal detachment occurs when the retina is separated from the inside of your eye and can no longer transmit images properly through the optic nerve to the brain. The center of the retina is the macula. If the macula is involved in the detachment, the vision is often extremely blurred. If the macula is not involved in the area of detachment, there may be some loss of peripheral vision.

Is a retinal detachment serious?

Yes. A retinal detachment is a very serious problem that will almost always lead to blindness if not treated.

What causes a retinal detachment?

The center of the eye is filled with a clear gel called the vitreous. As we get older, the vitreous begins to change into a liquid or become clumpy and this causes it to pull away from the surface of the retina. This process, called a posterior vitreous detachment, or PVD, usually occurs without damaging the retina. In some cases, the vitreous may pull hard enough to tear the retina in one or more places. As time passes, fluid from the center of the eye will pass through the tear and begin accumulating beneath the retina, causing a retinal detachment. There are some conditions that increase the likelihood of developing a retinal detachment. These include:

• Myopia (nearsightedness)
• Prior eye surgery, such as cataract removal
• Traumatic injury
• A history of retinal detachment in either eye
• Family history of retinal detachment

What are the symptoms of a retinal detachment?

The retina can tear if the vitreous gel pulls away from the wall of the eye. This sometimes causes a small amount of bleeding in the eye that may appear as new floaters. A torn retina is always a serious problem, since it can lead to a retinal detachment. You should see your ophthalmologist as soon as possible if you experience any of the following:

• A new floater or several floaters that appears suddenly
• Sudden flashes of light in the eye
• Seeing “cobwebs” or hairs in field of vision
• Feeling a slight heaviness in the eye
• Impression of a curtain or veil coming down over vision
• Blurred vision

Pain is not a symptom of a detached retina