Retinal Detachment Surgery & Treatments

The retina is a layer of light-sensing cells lining the back of your eye. As light rays enter your eye, the retina converts the rays into signals, which are sent through the optic nerve to your brain where they are recognized as images. The macula is the central portion of the retina responsible for detailed vision which is needed for activities such as reading and driving.

Once a tear starts to form on the retina, you will encounter blurry vision or blindness. Our team of ophthalmologists offers innovative retinal detachment surgery to patients in Ohio and Michigan with impaired vision. Give our staff a call by phone at (877) 852-8463 to discuss the benefits of receiving treatment.

What Is A Torn Or Detached Retina?

Retinal detachments will affect one out of every 10,000 people each year in the United States. Retinal detachments start as retinal tears. If retinal detachment surgery is not performed, watery fluid from the vitreous space passes through the hole and flows between the retina and the back wall of the eye. This separates the retina from the back of the eye, causing it to detach.

Once the retina becomes detached, it will become unable to transmit light and images through the optic nerve to the brain. Our staff of ophthalmologists and optometrists offer surgery or eye care solutions for detached retinas in areas such as Ohio and Michigan. If your vision is blurry or you notice blind spots, this may be a sign of a retinal detachment.

In severe cases, this type of detachment can result in blindness. Over 90% of all retinal detachments can be reattached by modern surgical techniques. Occasionally, our staff of ophthalmologists may be required to perform more than one surgery for detached retinas.

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What Causes Retinal Detachment?

Retinal detachment surgery is performed on clients in Ohio and Michigan due to the presence of one or more small tears in the retina. These tears may be due to the thinning of the retina that comes with age, but more often they are caused by the shrinkage of the vitreous. The vitreous is a clear gel that fills the middle of the eye. The vitreous helps maintain the shape of the eye and allows light to pass through the retina.

Who is At Risk For Retinal Tears and Detachments?

Retinal tears and detachments usually affect people who are middle-aged or older. These eye problems are more likely to develop in very nearsighted people and those with a family history of retinal problems. In addition, a solid blow to the eye can cause damage to the retina that will need to be corrected with a retinal detachment surgery.

Signs You May Need to Sign Up For Surgery For a Detached Retina

Light flashes
New floaters - little "cobwebs" or specks that float in your field of vision
A gray curtain moving across your field of vision
Sudden blurry vision

These symptoms do not always indicate you will need to receive retinal detachment surgery. However, you should see your ophthalmologist as soon as possible to confirm whether or not surgery is necessary to eliminate the symptoms of a detached retina. We offer retina surgery and treatment solutions in areas such as Battle Creek, Adrian, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Toledo, and Ann Arbor. Our team of ophthalmologists can diagnose retinal detachment during an eye examination by dilating the pupils of your eyes. Some retinal detachments are found during a routine eye examination.

What Treatment is Needed for Retinal Tears and Detachments?

Most retinal tears need to be treated with laser surgery or cryotherapy (freezing), which seals the retina to the back wall of the eye. These treatments cause little or no discomfort and may be performed in your ophthalmologist’s office. Treatment usually prevents retinal detachment.

Laser Retinal Detachment Surgery – An ophthalmologist will utilize a laser to perform the retinal detachment surgery to create small burns around the edge of the retinal tear. These burns produce scars that seal the edges of the tear.
Cryopexy – during this procedure, your ophthalmologist will use an intensely cold probe to freeze the back wall of the eye behind a retinal tear. This will stimulate scar tissue and seal the edges of the tear.

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Retinal Detachment Surgery

Almost all patients with retinal detachments require surgery to return the retina to its proper position. Our team of Ophthalmologists offer innovative retinal detachment treatments in areas such as Ann Arbor, Lansing, Toledo, Jackson, Bryan, and Kalamazoo. There are several ways to fix a retinal detachment. The most common retinal detachment surgery procedures are scleral buckling, pneumatic retinopexy, and vitrectomy. Each type of retinal surgery for detached retinas is designed to press the wall of the eye against the retinal holes, holding together until scarring heals the tears.

Scleral Buckling - this treatment involves placing a flexible band (scleral buckle) around the eye gently pressing inward and holding the retina in position. This procedure is performed in an operating room.
Pneumatic Retinopexy - this retinal detachment surgery consists of injecting a gas bubble into the vitreous space inside the eye. As the bubble rises, it presses the detached retina against the back wall of the eye to seal the retinal tear. Your ophthalmologist will ask you to maintain a certain head position for several days. The body usually absorbs the bubble within one to three weeks.
Vitrectomy - the vitreous gel, which is pulling on the retina, is removed from the eye and usually replaced with a gas bubble. Your body's own fluids will gradually replace the gas bubble. Sometimes vitrectomy is combined with a scleral buckle.

Is Retinal Detachment Surgery Safe?

Surgery is successful in preserving eyesight in more than 90 percent of patients, although a second operation is sometimes needed to fix a detached retina. The benefits of surgery for retinal tears and detachments clearly outweigh the risks. Some of the surgical risks include infection, bleeding, high pressure in the eye and cataract. If the retina cannot be reattached, the eye will continue to lose sight and ultimately become blind. We offer retinal detachment surgery in locations such as Toledo, Bryan, Jackson, Ann Arbor, Chelsea, and Battle Creek. Call one of our expert ophthalmologists at (877) 852-8463 to request a consultation.