Retinal Detachment Treatments

How Retinal Detachment is Diagnosed and Treated

Retinal detachment is considered a medical emergency, so diagnosing and treating it as quickly as possible is imperative to reduce the chances of permanent vision loss and long-term eye damage.

Diagnosis

Your CVP Physicians Dayton eye doctor will conduct a thorough eye exam to determine if you have a detached retina. This will include a few tests to ensure that your diagnosis is accurate, including:

• Dilated eye exam
• Eye ultrasound
• Fundus photography of the retina
• Visual acuity test
• lit-lamp eye exam
• Electroretinogram
• Fluorescein angiography
• Ophthalmoscopy

Treatment

After your exam is completed, your ophthalmologist will determine if you have a retinal tear or detachment. If you do, there are several treatment options available at CVP Physicians Dayton. The goal of treatment is to reattach the retina, which typically requires surgery, and approximately 90% of retinal detachment treatments are successful. Your eye doctor will recommend the best treatment for your unique case, likely one of the following:

• Cryotherapy: Also called cryopexy, is a procedure that uses extreme cold to help reattach the retina to the underlying tissue. specialized probe is applied to the outside of the eye near the retinal tear, creating a controlled freeze that stimulates scar tissue formation. This scar tissue acts as an adhesive, sealing the tear and preventing further fluid leakage that could lead to retinal detachment.
• Laser Photocoagulation: This non-invasive surgical procedure uses a high-energy laser to seal retinal tears and reattach the retina. The laser creates small burns around the retinal tear, triggering the formation of scar tissue that bonds the retina to the underlying layer of the eye. This technique is typically used for small retinal tears or early-stage detachments.
• Pneumatic Retinopexy: A minimally invasive procedure, pneumatic retinopexy is used to treat certain types of retinal detachments. During the procedure, a bubble of air or gas is injected into the vitreous cavity of the eye. The bubble floats to the top of the eye, pressing against the detached retina and pushing it back into place. The doctor then uses laser photocoagulation or cryotherapy to permanently seal the retinal tear. Over time, the bubble is naturally absorbed by the body and the eye refills with its natural fluids.
• Scleral Buckle Surgery: This procedure involves placing a silicone band, or buckle, around the outside of the eye to relieve traction on the retina, gently pressing the eye’s wall inward to allow the retina to settle back into its normal position. In most cases, cryotherapy or laser treatment is also applied to the affected area to help seal any retinal breaks. The scleral buckle is typically left in place permanently and is not visible from the outside.
• Vitrectomy: Vitrectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the vitreous, the gel-like substance that fills the eye and helps maintain its shape, to eliminate any pulling forces on the retina that may contribute to detachment. Once the vitreous is removed, the surgeon may use laser treatment, cryotherapy, or a gas or silicone oil bubble to reattach the retina. The eye is then filled with either a saline solution, a gas bubble, or silicone oil to support healing.