Retina and Vitreous Disorders
Retina is the light receptive screen of the eye (akin to the screen in the camera) that sends visual messages to the brain through the optic nerve. When the retina is lifted or pulled it's from normal position it gets detached. This interferes with the reception of light by the retina. If this is not treated immediately, this could result in permanent blindness.
Retinal detachments are caused by a host of conditions in the eye
Of these Rhegmatogenous detachment is the most common type.
The vitreous is a gel like substance filling the eye behind the lens and in front of the retina. It is an optically clear viscous medium. The vitreous can be become opaque due to bleeding in the eye due to injury/ diabetes mellitus etc.
Are over 40 years of age
Are myopic (especially high myopia)
Had a retinal detachment in one eye
Have a family history of retinal detachment
Have other eye diseases like retinoschisis, uveitis, lattice degeneration, retinal breaks etc
Had an eye injury
Untreated vitreous hemorrhage, diabetic retinopathy etc.
Laser indirect ophthalmoscopy – for retina breaks in which the hole or break in the retina is sealed with laser
Cryopexy – which freezes the area around the hole to reattach the retina
Pnuemoretinopexy – where air is injected into the vitreous to push the retina to its normal position
Scleral buckling – where a buckle is attached to outside of the eye to gently push the wall of the eye against the detached retina
Vitrectomy – is performed with the state of the art Accurus machine in which the vitreous is removed partly or totally through a small incision in the sclera, gas is injected into the eye to push the retina to its normal position
Over 90% of retinal detachment can be successfully treated with good visual outcome achieved when the patient presents early in the course of disease. It is vital to report to the eye specialist at the first instance of noticing floaters, flashes or curtain in the field of vision.
