Diseases & Treatments

Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment is the separation of the sensory retina from the pigment epithelium, in simpler terms, it is the separation of the nerve layers of the eye from each other. This separation may occur secondary to a retinal tear, tractional bands or leakage of the vessel walls.  Treatments of retinal detachment types differ from each other according to the mechanism of occurrence.

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (with retinal tear) is the most common type. Myopia, trauma, Ehler-Danlos, Stickler, and Marfan syndrome are well-known risk factors. Family history may also be a risk factor. Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is an ocular emergency and results in blindness if not treated promptly. It can be treated with different techniques such as injecting gas into the eye, placing an explant outside the eye, and intraocular surgery (vitrectomy) depending on the the findings.

It may be necessary to introduce gas or silicone tamponade into the eye. Closing the tear is an essential step. In delayed cases, vision loss may occur even if the eye is anatomically preserved. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are very important for the preservation of vision. For this reason, if there is a complaint of flashing light and flying flies in the eye, a retinal tear should be investigated. Surgery may not be necessary if the tear isclosed by laser before retinal detachment occurs.

In tractional retinal detachment, there are bands inside the eye that pull the retina and cause it to separate. It can be seen in diabetic retinopathy (ocular nerve disease due to diabetes), premature infants' eye disease (retinopathy) and after trauma. Permanent vision loss may occur if the center of the eye is affected in tractional retinal detachment. Surgical stripping of the bands is required in the treatment (vitrectomy surgery). It may be necessary to introduce gas or silicone tamponade into the eye.

In exudative retinal detachment, there is loss of tight connection between blood vessel cells/pigment cells in the retina, therefore a leakage occurs and separates the retinal layers from each other. The causes of the leak must be treated. These causes may include intraocular tumor, high blood pressure, pregnancy toxemia, and kidney failure. In exudative retinal detachment, besides vision loss, life-threatening consequences may also occur depending on the underlying cause.