An Introduction to Detached Retina Surgery
Treatment for a
detached retina involves immediate surgery in order to repair the detached retina. The specific type of detached retina surgery the doctor recommends will depend on the type, size, and location of the detached retina.
Detached Retina Surgery: Laser Surgery and Cryopexy
For small holes and tears, laser surgery or a freezing treatment called cryopexy may be recommended. These procedures are usually performed in the doctor's office. During detached retina 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.
Detached Retina Surgery: Scleral Buckle, Vitrectomy, and Pneumopexy
For some detached retina cases, other surgeries may be recommended. These surgeries include scleral buckling,
vitrectomy, or pneumopexy.
Scleral Buckling
A scleral buckle is a tiny synthetic band that is attached to the outside of the eyeball to gently push the wall of the eye against the detached retina.
Vitrectomy and Pneumopexy
During a vitrectomy, the doctor makes a tiny incision in the sclera (the white of the eye). Next, a small instrument is placed into the eye to remove the vitreous, a gel-like substance that fills the center of the eye and helps the eye maintain a round shape. Then, gas is often injected into the eye to replace the vitreous and reattach the retina (known as a pneumopexy); the gas pushes the retina back against the wall of the eye. During the healing process, the eye makes fluid that gradually replaces the gas and fills the eye.
With these two surgical procedures, after a couple of weeks, laser surgery or cryopexy is used to "weld" the retina back in place.
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