Retinal Detachment
Retinal detachment is separation of the neurosensory retina from the underlying retinal pigment epithelium.
Retinal Detachment:
What is Retinal Detachment?
The neurosensory retina becomes detached from the underlying retinal pigment epithelium, which is what constitutes a detachment of the retina.
Retinal Detachment Symptoms:
One of the biggest retinal detachment symptoms is experiencing brief flashes of light (photopsia) in the extreme peripheral (outside of centre) part of the vision.
In most cases, the primary retinal detachment symptom is sudden dramatic increase in the number of floaters.
Seeing a veil like a curtain starting from the sides and progressing to the central vision.
Another striking retinal detachment symptom is getting an impression that a veil or curtain was drawn over the field of vision.
Distortion of vision occurs, which causes straight lines to appear bent or curved.
Double vision in affected eyes.
Central visual loss is another symptom of retinal detachment.
Causes of Retinal Detachment
Myopia
Previous cataract surgery
Ocular trauma
Lattice retinal degeneration
A family history of retinal detachment
Diabetic retinopathy
Types of Retinal Detachment
Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment
What is Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment? Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is separation of the neurosensory retina from the underlying retinal pigment epithelium characterized…
Tractional Retinal Detachment
What is Tractional Retinal Detachment? Tractional Retinal detachment is separation of the neurosensory retina from the underlying retinal pigment epithelium caused…
What are the Risk Factors of Retinal Detachment?
- History of having retinal detachment in one eye.
- History of having eye surgeries like cataract removal
- Ageing is another risk factor for retinal detachment.
- Severe eye injury can also lead to the detachment of the retina
- Family history of retinal detachment
- Myopia or extreme near-sightedness
- If a person is suffering from eye disorders and diseases like uveitis, lattice degeneration, or retinoschisis, they are more vulnerable to retinal detachment
Retinal Detachment Prevention
- Avoid direct and indirect injury to the eyes
- Regular eye check up
- Controlling systemic risk factors and diseases such as diabetes
An Overview of Diagnosing Detached Retina
In the medical sector, there are 3 ways of diagnosing detached retina:
- The first way of diagnosing detached retina is by ophthalmoscopy, with an indirect ophthalmoscope.
- Another way is to perform fundus photography.
- It is also possible to diagnose and confirm detached retina with an ultrasound B scan.
Retinal Detachment Treatment
Below we have given an insight into some of the many retinal detachment treatments:
- Retinal laser photocoagulation and cryopexy
- Scleral buckle surgery
- Pneumatic retinopexy
- Vitrectomy surgery
Depending on the root of the problem and the site of the lesion, a variety of treatments can be used to repair a rhegmatogenous detachment. The retinal tears are repaired using laser or cryotherapy in these techniques. To reduce vitreous tension on the retina, scleral buckling uses silicone to dimple the sclera and press the retina inward. The subretinal space may be drained if necessary during this treatment. Other procedures include vitrectomy and pneumatic retinopexy, in which gas is injected intravitreally to stretch the underlying retinal tissue. Retinal tears can be treated with cryopexy (scarring the retinal tear by freezing) or laser photocoagulation (using a green Argon, red Krypton, or Diode laser). Most cases of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments respond well to surgical therapy.
In the case of non-rhegmatogenous retinal detachments caused by vitreoretinal tension, vitrectomy may be the recommended course of treatment. Transudative detachments are treated with systemic corticosteroids or systemic immunosuppressive medicines (such as methotrexate or azathioprine).
Alternative local treatments for transudative detachments caused by uveitis include periocular corticosteroid injections, intravitreal corticosteroid injections, and intravitreal dexamethasone implants. Choroidal tumours both at the primary site and at distant metastases necessitate therapy. Choroidal hemangiomas are often treated with photodynamic therapy or, in rare cases, laser photocoagulation.