Retinal detachment

Treatment for retinal detachment

Provided the patient does not have a cataract or significant internal bleeding, it is generally sufficient to perform an examination of the fundus of the eye with the pupil dilated to verify whether there is retinal detachment.

If there is significant opacity, an ultrasound of the eye can clarify the situation.

Although some retinal detachments may be the result of trauma or inflammation, infections or genetic eye disorders, most are secondary to the appearance of one or more breaks in the retina caused by vitreous detachment.

There are two types of treatments for retinal detachment:

Preventive treatment

If an examination shows that retinal detachment has not yet occurred, it is possible to prevent further damage without the need for a complex surgical operation.

Surgical treatment

If the patient already has a retinal detachment, surgery is required to treat this vision problem.
Generally speaking, there are three ways of attempting to treat retinal detachment that can be used alone or in combination:

1) Pneumatic retinopexy

This is used particularly for single holes in the upper part of the retina. It basically involves injecting a bubble of a special gas in to the eye and positioning the patient in such a way that the bubble rests against the break in the retina to stop fluid passing through it.
If this is achieved, the retina will reattach and the tear can be treated with laser or cryotherapy.
This technique for treating retinal detachment is only indicated in certain cases.

2) Scleral buckling surgery

This is a technique used to treat retinal detachment that endeavours to close breaks in the retina using implants on the internal surface of the eye, which push the external wall of the eye inward until contact is made with the retina in the area with the tear. This blocks the hole, preventing more fluid from passing through it and thus allowing the retina to reattach.

3) Posterior vitrectomy

This technique involves penetrating the eye and removing most of the vitreous and the traction it exerts on the retina. Once the retina has been reattached, laser or cryotherapy is applied around the lesions and the eye is filled with gas. This technique requires the patient to rest during the postoperative period. In most cases the patient will need to rest face down.