If you have a comment or questions, or if you wish to receive email announcing new material on line, please fill out our contact form:

Remember:
Our information is not intended to replace communication with your regular health care providers.

Detached Retina

Causes | Treatment | Warning Signs

Detached retina, very simply, is a displacement of the retina from its normal position against the back of the eye.

The retina is a delicate sheet of tissues lying snugly against the back wall of the eye. It functions much like the film in a camera transforming light into a "picture" which in the case of the eye, is transmitted through the optic nerve and "developed" in the brain.

Once the retina is detached, it no longer functions properly in transmitting "pictures" to the brain. The blindness or blind spots caused by the detachment are permanent unless the retina is put back in place.

Retinal detachments are often preceded by holes or tears in the retina. The vitreous, a gel-like substance filling the interior of the eye, will seep under the retina and cause the detachment.

This horizontal section of the eye shows a detached retina. A tear or hole in the retina often precedes a retinal detachment. The vitreous then seeps between the layers of the retina causing blindness that is permanent unless the retina can be reattached to the back wall of the eye.

The Causes

Trauma or blows to the eyes, head or severe eye injury can cause retinal holes, tears or a detached retina.

In diseases such as diabetic retinopathy or neovascular macular degeneration, abnormal and bleeding blood vessels can pull the retina out of place. Degenerative changes in the retina due to age and hereditary thinning of the retina will also cause detachments.

Less common causes are cysts, tumors. infections and severe hypertension associated with toxemic pregnancy.

Retinal detachments occur as a result of age more often in men than in women. Very nearsighted people are more susceptible to detachments.

Detached retina, however, can occur in either sex of any age in apparently normal eyes so regular eye examinations are important.

The Treatment

Detached retina -- and the retinal holes and tears that precede it -- can be treated and corrected but early detection is important. Early treatment means a better chance for a return to normal vision.

Rarely, in very mild cases, bed rest can be sufficient. More serious detachments must be treated surgically. Most of the retinal tears or holes can be repaired by creating an inflammatory reaction in the tissues surrounding the tear. The "scarring" produced by the inflammation acts as a bond to repair and reattach the retina to the wall of the eye. Treatment can include the use of lasers, xenon arcs, photocoagulation. diathermy and cryosurgery (the use of extreme cold).

Surgery is more involved when the retina is detached because the retina must be reattached to the underlying tissues in addition to repairing the tear. The surgery may also include draining the fluid separating the retinal layers. In some cases, the tissues of the outer wall of the eye are brought in to meet the displaced retina. Retinal detachments caused by tumors are treated in a manner appropriate to the tumor.

Eyes should be examined three and six month safter any severe blows to the eyes or head to make sure any tears, holes or detachments have not begun to develop.

Statistically a retinal detachment in one eye means a retinal detachment will occur in the second eye in one of every three cases. Since it can be as long as ten years before the second detachment occurs, regular examinations are important in preventive eye care.

The Warning Signs

Since the retina does not send out pain signals, the lack of pain does not mean there is not a problem. Some of the warning signs of retinal holes, tears or detachments are:

"Fireworks" or persistent flashes of bright lights -- whether it is dark or light or your eyes are open or closed.
Sudden showers of black dots or "floaters." Normal vision for some people includes some "floaters" or dots in their field of vision but any sudden change or increase could be signs of a problem.
Persistent "shadows" or "veils" in your field of vision. These will eventually increase as the problem becomes more serious.

CAN TV Eye Care Eye Disease Eye Safety Visionary Research
What's New About us Contact Links Search Donations