Retinal Detachment Diagnosis and Treatment

A retinal detachment occurs when the retina separates from the back of the eye. It is most often caused by a retinal tear, but can also result from eye injury, severe nearsightedness, previous eye surgery, or other retinal conditions.

Symptoms of retinal detachment may progress slowly or rapidly, but both should be reported to a medical doctor as soon as possible so as to minimize the risk of vision loss. Some of the symptoms of a retinal detachment include:

• A sudden decrease in visual acuity
• A sudden increase in the amount of “floaters” in vision
• Bright flashes in the periphery
• An unnatural “curving” of straight lines
• Loss of central vision
• A dense shadow throughout the visual field

A patient with the above symptoms should be evaluated promptly.

Diagnosis of a retinal detachment is made after a thorough medical eye examination by one of our ophthalmologists and the performance of the following diagnostic tests:

• Dilated eye examination
• Ultrasound of the eye
• Fundus photography of the retina
• Visual acuity test
• Slit-lamp examination
• Ophthalmoscopy

A retinal detachment may be treated in many ways, which may include one or both of the following:

• Cryotherapy
• Laser photocoagulation
• Pneumatic retinopexy
• Scleral buckle
• Vitrectomy

Most surgeries to repair a retinal detachment are successful. In some cases, a second procedure will need to be performed. After a successful procedure, vision will take time to improve but may not return to previous levels of acuity.

Yes. A detached retina is considered a medical emergency. Delaying treatment can result in permanent vision loss or blindness.