Everything You Should Know About Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment is a dangerous eye disease. It occurs when your retina, a layer of tissue at the back of your eye, detaches from the surrounding tissue. Because of detachment, your retina cannot work correctly. This can lead to permanent vision loss if you don't get it treated immediately.

Learn more about retinal detachment symptoms, causes, risk factors, and treatment. 

What are the symptoms of retinal detachment?

While retinal detachment doesn’t cause pains or aches, it usually produces noticeable symptoms when it occurs or advances. The most common symptoms of retinal detachment include:

• Sudden flashes in eyes


• Blurred vision


• Poor peripheral vision


• Curtain-like shadow over your visual field


• The appearance of many floaters through your field of vision

What are the types and causes of retinal detachment?

There are three different types of retinal detachment and each of them has its causes. The most common cause of retinal detachments is rhegmatogenous. It is caused by a hole or tear in the retina, allowing fluid to flow beneath the retina, forcing the retina away from the underlying tissues. The places where the retina detaches lose blood flow and stop operating, resulting in permanent vision loss.

Another type of retinal detachment is tractional. This form of detachment occurs when scar tissue develops on the surface of the retina, causing the retina to pull away from the back of the eye. People with poorly managed diabetes or other diseases are more likely to develop tractional retinal detachment.

Exudative is another form of retinal detachment. It occurs when the fluid collects behind the retina, although there are no holes or tears in the retina. Exudative detachment can result from age-related macular degeneration, eye damage, tumors, or inflammatory diseases.

What are the risk factors of retinal detachment?

There are several factors that can increase your risk of developing retinal detachment. These include:

• History of retinal detachment


• Family history of retinal detachment


• Severe myopia


• History of eye diseases


• Eye diseases like retinoschisis, uveitis, or thinning of the peripheral retina


• Underlying inflammatory health conditions


• Diabetes


• Age over the 50


• Previous eye surgery

How is retinal detachment diagnosed?

For diagnosing retinal detachment your doctor will most likely perform a retinal examination and ultrasound imaging. During the retinal examination, the doctor uses special instruments with bright light and special lenses that allow examining the back of the eye. 

Even if you have symptoms of retinal detachment only in one eye, your doctor would most likely examine both. If no tear is seen at this visit, your doctor may ask you to return after a few weeks to ensure that your eye didn’t develop a delayed tear as a consequence of the vitreous separation. Also, if you notice any new symptoms, you should contact your doctor right away.

How is retinal detachment treated?

A retinal tear, hole, or detachment almost always requires surgery. There are several approaches available. If your retina has detached, you'll require surgery to restore it as soon as possible. The type of surgery recommended by your surgeon will be determined by various criteria, including the severity of the separation.

For retinal tears, laser surgery and freezing are usually used. At laser surgery, the doctor directs a laser beam into the eye through the pupil. The laser creates scarring around the retinal tear, which "welds" the retina to the underlying tissue. In freezing, the doctor numbs your eye with a local anesthetic and places a freezing probe to the outer surface of the eye above the tear. The freezing creates a scar, which aids in the attachment of the retina to the eyewall.

If your retina has detached, the doctor might offer several procedures that include injecting air or gas into your eye, indenting the surface of your eye, or draining and replacing the fluid in the eye. It may take several months for your eye to improve after surgery. 

The bottom line

About 80% to 90% of retina surgeries are successful. However, you may require more than one procedure. Some people might not regain full eyesight, especially in more severe cases. It is important to remember that a detached retina will not heal on its own. It's critical to get medical attention as soon as possible if you want to repair your vision.