Retinal detachment
Retinal detachment is a relatively common and serious eye condition that can lead to irreversible vision damage or even blindness. Early diagnosis is crucial, as the final visual acuity depends on the timely performance of the surgery—meaning the sooner the patient seeks treatment, the greater the chance of improving vision.
What is retinal detachment?
Retinal detachment occurs when the nerve tissue separates from the inner surface of the eye. As a result, the photoreceptor cells of the retina are deprived of nourishment, leading to their death and a subsequent loss of function. Untreated retinal detachment almost always results in irreversible vision damage and can lead to complete blindness, often within a few days to weeks.
Causes of retinal detachment
The most common cause of retinal detachment is a tear in the retina. This allows fluid to accumulate beneath the retina, pushing it away from its normal position, which leads to its detachment. Retinal tears typically occur in areas where the retina has thinned due to disease, from pulling by the vitreous, or from eye injuries.
Other causes include the traction of fibrous bands pulling on the retina without causing a tear but lifting the retina off the surface. This type of detachment mainly occurs in diabetics during advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy and retinal circulation disorders.
Retinal detachment can also be caused by fluid leaking beneath the retina due to inflammation or other eye or systemic diseases.
Symptoms
Patients with retinal detachment do not experience pain, but the detached retina causes specific symptoms:
- Flashes of light
- An increase in floating spots (floaters, falling soot)
- A dark curtain or shadows obscuring vision
- Sudden onset of blurred vision
- Blank spots in the field of vision
Example of vision with detached retina:
Laser procedure
This method is used for retinal tears where detachment has not yet occurred. The laser seals the retinal tears, preventing further progression to detachment. This procedure is preventive, aimed at avoiding retinal detachment. After the procedure, the patient must be monitored to ensure the disease does not progress.
Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV)
The surgical technique called PPV (pars plana vitrectomy) is used as a primary treatment for all types of retinal detachment. It is a microsurgical procedure performed on the vitreous and retina under an operating microscope. The surgery is conducted on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia.
