Retinal Detachment Surgery - What Everbody Ought To Know About Retinal Surgery

The term retinal eye surgery could cause a patient some angst simply because it sounds like a drastic procedure but in reality, it’s routine and performed with great precision.

On a more serious note though, if it’s not treated then complications can arise with the most serious being blindness. Deficiencies or even holes within the retina will overtime weaken the retina’s attachment from the eye and treatment is a must. A retinal detachment surgery involves re-attaching the retina and correcting any holes or deficiencies.

Who Needs Retinal Detachment Surgery

Obviously people experiencing the issues mentioned above but there is a strong correlation between age and problem. Failing eyesight is associated with age in many instances while people with nearsightedness who have undergone cataract surgery or people who have suffered eye injuries of a severe nature are likely candidates.

With the issue of age, the contents within the eyeball suffer shrinkage which in turn can cause damage to the retina such as creating holes which in turn can lead to detachment.

The Retina

The retina is delicate within the eye structure and it’s role involves alerting the brain via the conversion of light into signals. Action particles are the end product of the retina which are sent to the brain and nervous system and are created by the retina’s photoreceptor cells as it receives light energy passing through it.

This is just a vague explanation of what the retina’s role is and you could imagine that any holes appearing within it’s three layers of nerve cell tissue or to it’s synapses layers can have an impact on the quality of information sent to the brain and consequently, the overall vision output.

Retinal Detachment Surgery Procedure

The retinal eye surgery is generally routine and can be accomplished in a variety of ways. The process of “pneumatic retinopexy” is one such surgical option. This involves a gas bubble being injected into the eye by the surgeon which presses the retina flat against the wall of the eye.

Natural healing takes over from there and the body naturally reattaches the retina over time. A laser is used to seal the holes and to hold the retina to the back of the eyeball.

“Scleral buckling” is a surgical process which involves the laser reattachment of the retina as with pneumatic retinopexy, but also includes the use of a silicone band that holds the retina in place. This adds pressure and in theory quickens the process of healing.

Finally, “vitrectomy surgery” replaces the eye fluid with air, gas, or silicone oil. This temporarily replaces the natural fluids until the retina reattaches, then the body’s natural fluids are replaced by normal biological process.

Don’t be put off and frightened by the term retinal eye surgery. The procedure isn’t frightening and could very well save your eye sight.