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High levels of short-sightedness (myopia) can also cause a retinal detachment. What causes a retinal detachment?Īn injury to the eye or face can cause a detached retina. Urgent treatment increases your odds of maintaining your vision. If you experience any of the visual signs of retinal detachment, consult your optometrist immediately. And 50 percent of people who have a retinal tear will experience a subsequent retinal detachment.Ī detached retina is painless. These signs can occur gradually as the retina pulls away from the supportive tissue, or they may occur suddenly if the retina detaches immediately.Īpproximately one in seven people who experience a sudden onset of flashes and floaters will have a retinal tear or detachment. Schedule an emergency eye exam with an eye doctor near you so you can avoid any retinal problems and maintain a life of good eye health and clear vision.Seeing a curtain-like shadow coming down across your field of vision can be a sign of retinal detachment.Īnother sign is seeing a shadow or a curtain descending from the top of the eye or across from the side. Seeing your eye doctor frequently, such as yearly eye exams, especially if you have risks for retinal diseases, is important to avoid vision loss. While there’s no way to prevent retinal detachment, you can take steps to reduce your risks of suffering from retinal detachment. Once your retina is back in place, your eye doctor will use a laser or freezing probe to seal the holes. For this procedure, a gas bubble will be placed in your eye to help your retina move back into place up against the wall of your eye.
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The resulting scarring helps hold the retina in place.Ī pneumatic retinopexy is used to repair minor detachments. For this treatment, your eye doctor will apply a freezing probe outside your eye in the area over the retinal tear. The resulting scarring binds your retina to the back of your eye.Ĭryopexy is freezing with intense cold. The eye doctor uses a laser that burns around the tear site. This procedure is used if there is a hole or tear in your retina but your retina is still attached. The scleral buckle is not seen on the eye and is usually left on the eye permanently. It gently presses the eye inward, helping the detached retina heal against the eyewall. Scleral buckling involves placing a band of rubber or soft plastic onto the outside of your eyeball. The bubble pushes the retina back into place so it can heal properly.Ī more severe detachment requires eye surgery in a hospital. The vitreous will be replaced with an air, gas, or oil bubble. Small tools are used to remove abnormal vascular or scar tissue and vitreous, a gel-like fluid from your retina. Some types of retinal surgery procedures include:Ī vitrectomy is used for larger tears. In most cases, surgery is necessary to repair all retinal disease and especially a detached retina.
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If you suffer any sudden vision changes, immediately contact an eye doctor near you. The annual incidence of retinal detachments is approximately 12.5 cases per 100,000 per year, or about 28,000 cases per year in the US.
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Retinal detachment is sight-threatening retinal disease and occurs when the retina separates from the back of your eye, causing loss of vision that can be partial or total, depending on how much of the retina is detached. Over 28,000 cases of retinal detachment occur every year.
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