Surgery
:: Retinal Detachment Information ::
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By Juliet Cohen
A retinal detachment is a serious and sight-threatening event. Retinal
detachment is a disorder of the eye in which the retina peels away from
its underlying layer of support tissue. It is usually affects
middle-aged or older people. Retinal detachment occurs when the retina
separates from the choroid. The retina is a thin layer of
light-sensitive tissue on the back wall of the eye. The optical system
of the eye focuses light on the retina much like light is focused on
the film in a camera. The retina translates that focused image into
neural impulses and sends them to the brain via the optic nerve.
Occasionally, posterior vitreous detachment, injury or trauma to the
eye or head may cause a small tear in the retina. The tear allows
vitreous fluid to seep through it under the retina, and peel it away
like a bubble in wallpaper.
Retinal
detachment can occur more frequently after surgery for cataracts. The
estimate of risk of retinal detachment after cataract surgery is 5 to
16 per 1000 cataract operations. There are three different types of
retinal detachment. First is rhegmatogenous a tear or break in the
retina allows fluid to get under the retina and separate it from the
retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the pigmented cell layer that
nourishes the retina. These types of retinal detachments are the most
common. Second is tractional. In Tractional type of detachment, scar
tissue on the retina's surface contracts and causes the retina to
separate from the RPE. This type of detachment is less common.Third is
exudative-frequently caused by retinal diseases, including inflammatory
disorders and injury/trauma to the eye.
In this type, fluid
leaks into the area below the retina, but there are no tears or breaks
in the retina. There are several methods of treating a detached retina
which all depend on finding and closing the holes (tears) which have
formed in the retina. Small holes and tears are treated with laser
surgery or a freeze treatment called cryopexy. These procedures are
usually performed in the doctor's office. During laser surgery tiny
burns are made around the hole to "weld" the retina back into place.
Cryopexy freezes the area around the hole and helps reattach the
retina. Scleral buckle surgery is an established treatment in which the
eye surgeon sews one or more silicone bands (bands, tyres) to the
outside of the eyeball.Vitrectomy is an increasingly widely used
treatment for retinal detachment.
Retinal Detachment Treatment and Prevention Tips
1. Laser photocoagulation can repair smaller retinal tears.
2. Vitrectomy is an increasingly widely used treatment for retinal detachment
3. Cryopexy uses extreme cold to cause scar formation and seal the edges of a retinal tear.
4. Liquid silicone may be injected to replace the vitreous fluid to maintain the normal shape of the eye.
5. Early examination allows detection of retinal tears which can be treated with laser or cryotherapy.
6. Effective way of preventing retinal detachment is by educating people to seek ophthalmic medical attention
Juliet Cohen writes articles for Diseases. She also writes articles for Makeup and Hairstyles.
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