Retinal Detachment Surgery
The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye, similar to the film in a camera.
Its role in your vision is to receive light that the lens has focused, convert the light into neural signals, and send these signals to the brain for visual recognition. This process allows us to perceive and interpret the images we see.
Damage to the retina can have significant impacts on vision, ranging from mild to severe visual impairment or even blindness.
Depending on the extent and location of the damage, it can lead to various vision problems such as blurry or distorted vision, blind spots, difficulty seeing in low light, reduced color perception, and in some cases, complete loss of vision in the affected eye.
Retinal damage can be caused by conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, and injuries to the eye. Early detection and treatment are crucial to help manage and potentially prevent further vision loss.
Retinal detachments are a potentially sight threatening condition that often requires urgent surgery or laser.
Patients describe noticing flashes and floaters or a curtain like shadow coming across their vision.
The risk of getting a retinal detachment is about 1 in 10,000 but this risk is about 5 times greater for people who are short-sighted (myopic).
There are several methods of surgery to treat retinal detachments and your ophthalmologist will discuss the most appropriate option at your clinic appointment.
It is imperative that you get your eyes assessed urgently if you believe you may have symptoms suggestive of a retinal detachment.
What to expect when considering retinal detachment surgery:
- Surgery time is likely to be between 60-90 minutes
- It is a day hospital procedure
- Recovery/time off work is between 4-8 weeks
- You will be reasonably mobile after 1 day
- Exercise limitations to be practiced for 4-8 weeks
- Avoid driving for 2-8 weeks
- Pat dry, and keep out for a direct shower for 3 days