Retinal detachment repair

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Detached retina

Overview

Recovery

Risks

Retinal detachment repair

Definition:

Detached retinal repair is asurgical procedure that repairs a detached retina (a separation of the retina from its normal position lining the back of the eye).

Alternative Names:
Scleral buckling
Description:

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If you think of the eye as a camera, the retina is like the film in the camera. It lines the back inside surface of the eye, and converts the optical image into nerve impulses that travel via a large nerve to the brain, where the impulses become vision. The retina is only held in place against the wall of the eye by the pressure of the gel and fluid that fills the eye. This is like an inner tube held to the wall of a tire by the pressure of air.

If a hole forms in the retina, the retina will deflate away from the wall of the eye, forming a retinal detachment. Holes in the retina occur for many reasons, but most are due to weak spots that occur for no identifiable reason. They are more common in nearsighted eyes. Detachmentsmay also occur because of scar tissue pulling the retina forward, as often happens with diabetic retinopathy.

Since the retina gets most of its blood supply from vessels in the wall of the eye, if it becomes detached, it does not get enough oxygen and cells in the retina begin to die. This is why most detachment repair operations are urgent.

A major symptom associated with a tear or detachment is seeing flashing lights similar to lightning flashes in front of your eyes. Also, a shade or curtain may appear to block your vision.

If holes in the retina are found before a detachment occurs, the holes can be sealed with a laser (non-invasive surgery). If detachment has recently started, repair may be possible with a procedure called pneumatic retinopexy. A gas bubble is injected into the eye, and the patient is positioned so it floats up against the hole in the retina and pushes it back into place. Then a laser may be used to permanently seal it in place.

For detachments that are more advanced, a surgical procedure may be required. This may be done by bending the wall of the eye in to meet the hole in the retina (scleral buckle procedure) or using very small instruments inside the eye to remove a scar pulling the retina forward (vitrectomy procedure). For some complex detachments, both may be combined in the same operation.

Indications:

Retinal detachments do not improve without treatment. Retinal detachment repair is necessary to prevent permanent vision loss.

The urgency of the surgery depends on the location of the detachment. If the detachment has not affected the central vision area called the macula, surgery should be done quickly, usually the same day. This is necessary to prevent more of the retina from peeling away.

If the macula detaches, the surgery can still be done, but the visual result will not be as good. If the macula has already detached, there is less urgency. Physicians can wait a week to 10 days to schedule surgery.