Retinal Tear

It's about time..for us to learn more about Retinal Tear and Detachment ..ha ha..a few have asked me about what exactly is the condition all about...and I didn't really have the answer.


Here, I've pulled out some key points (from http://www.vrmny.com/pe/rtrd.html ) for everyone's better undertanding :


The retina is the neurosensory tissue that lines the back wall of the eye. Like the film in a camera, the retina is responsible for creating the images that one sees.

When the retina detaches, it separates from the back wall of the eye and is removed from its blood supply and source of nutrition. The retina will degenerate and lose its ability to function if it remains detached. Central vision will be lost if the macula remains detached.

One of the causes of detachment is due to a retinal break or tear that allows the liquid vitreous that fills the center of the eye ball to pass through the break and detach the retina.

This is the most common type of retinal detachment and usually occurs when the vitreous separates from the back wall of the eye. The vitreous is the clear gel that fills the central cavity of the eye. The formed vitreous gel liquefies with age and eventually falls away or separates from the retina.

As the gel separates and falls away from the center of the retina, one will often see floaters. These appear as dots, spots, or curly lines that appear suspended in front of you and move with your eye. People often think these floaters are flying bugs. Flashes of light are also a common symptom.

http://www.vrmny.com/pe/rtrd.html

If a retinal break is discovered before a detachment occurs, it can be treated to prevent the retina from detaching. Usually the laser is used to treat a retinal break.

The laser creates a series of burns surrounding the break which eventually scar and seal the retina to the underlying tissue. This prevents fluid (liquid vitreous) from passing through the break and detaching the retina.

Once a detachment occurs it is almost always too late to use the laser or cryoprobe. This is why it is so important to be examined immediately if you have symptoms of a PVD (flashes, floaters, shower of spots).


How's that? Better understood right?