Detached Retina

What Is a Detached Retina?

The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the inside of the eye and sends visual messages through the optic nerve to the brain. When the retina detaches, it is lifted or pulled from its normal position. If not promptly treated, a detached retina can cause permanent vision loss.

 

In some cases, there may be small areas of the retina that are torn. These areas, called retinal tears or retinal breaks, can lead to retinal detachment.

 

Understanding the Eye

In order to understand a detached retina, it is helpful to understand the parts of your eye involved with sight. These structures include the:

 

 

Your cornea is a thin, clear layer on the outside of your eye. The iris, or the colored part of your eye, is a muscle that controls the amount of light going through your pupil, or the round opening in the center of your eye. Behind the iris sits the lens, which is just larger than your pupil. The iris is enclosed by a thin, clear capsule that holds the lens in its proper place.

 

When light enters your eye, the cornea and lens form the light rays into a beam of light that is focused directly onto your retina -- the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. The retina instantly converts light, or an image, into electrical impulses. The retina then sends these impulses, or nerve signals, to the brain through the optic nerve. The optic nerve is a bundle of more than one million nerve fibers connecting the retina to the brain.

 

The macula is located in the center of the retina. It is made up of millions of light-sensing cells that help to produce central vision.

 

Most of the eye's interior is filled with vitreous, a gel-like substance that fills about 80 percent of the eye and helps it maintain a round shape. The vitreous contains millions of fine fibers that are attached to the surface of the retina.

 

Types of Detached Retina

There are three different detached retina types:

 

A rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is the most common type.

 

 

Causes and Risk Factors

In most cases, doctors are not sure why a person develops a detached retina, but they do know that certain factors increase the chances of a person developing it. These factors are known as detached retina risk factors.

 

These risk factors can include:

 

Eye conditions that put someone at risk for a detached retina include:

 

 

Symptoms of a Detached Retina

Common symptoms of a detached retina include:

 

Pain is not a symptom of a detached retina.

 

These possible symptoms are not always a sure sign. However, a detached retina is a medical emergency. Anyone experiencing possible symptoms should see an eye care professional immediately.

 

Diagnosing a Detached Retina

In order to make a detached retina diagnosis, your doctor will ask you a number of questions about your medical history and will perform a comprehensive eye exam that includes dilation. An ultrasound of the eye may also be performed to get additional detail of the retina.

 

Treatment Options

Treatment for a detached retina involves immediate surgery. The specific type of surgery the doctor recommends will depend on the type, size, and location. Left untreated, a detached retina can result in partial or complete vision loss in the affected eye.

 

Detached retina treatment can include:

 

With modern treatment, more than 90 percent of those with a retinal detachment can be successfully treated. In some cases, however, a second detached retina surgery is needed. The visual outcome is not always predictable.

 

Other Names for a Detached Retina

Other names that people use to describe this condition include: