Retina | Everything You Need to Know About Retinal Detachment and Treatment

The retina is the light-sensitive tissue located at the back of the eye. When the retinal tissue separates and pulls away from its normal position, this indicates a serious, urgent condition that requires immediate medical attention. In this article, we’ll discuss the retina and retinal detachment in more detail.

When light rays enter the eye, the lens focuses them and projects the image onto the retina. The retina then converts this image into electrical signals and sends them to the brain through the optic nerve, where the image is processed and recognized. The cornea, lens, retina, and related areas of the brain all work together to produce clear, normal vision.

Under normal circumstances, the retina lines the back of the eye from the inside. Retinal detachment is defined as the retina pulling away from its original position. The separation occurs between retinal layers and the underlying tissues, moving the retina away from the blood vessels that supply it with oxygen and nutrients. If this tear and separation continue for a long time without treatment, it can lead to vision loss and even complete blindness.

What Is Retinal Detachment?

Retinal detachment is an acute eye condition in which the retina is no longer in its normal anatomical position. This split can result in partial or complete blindness, depending mainly on how much of the retina has detached. When the retina detaches, many of its cells are deprived of oxygen, which can lead to their irreversible death. That’s why retinal detachment is considered an emergency that threatens eyesight and requires prompt evaluation by an eye specialist.

There are sudden warning signs that may indicate a possible detachment, such as seeing flashes of light, new floaters or shimmering lights, a sudden drop in visual clarity, or even abrupt loss of vision.

Who Is at Risk of Retinal Detachment?

There are several risk factors that, if present, make a person more likely to develop a retinal tear or detachment, including:

[هنا في النص الأصلي لم تُذكر العوامل بالتفصيل، يمكن للطبيب أو الكاتب استكمالها لاحقًا.]

Symptoms of Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment is indeed a serious problem, and just hearing the name may make it sound painful. In reality, one of the most notable features of a retinal tear or detachment is that it usually does not cause pain.

There is, however, a group of symptoms that often appear before or during the tearing process. Paying attention to these early warning signs may help you avoid a full detachment or at least prevent it from progressing. These include:

[الأعراض لم تُذكر في النص الأصلي، ويمكن استكمالها لاحقًا مثل: رؤية أجسام طافية، وميض ضوئي، ستارة سوداء… إلخ.]

What Causes Retinal Detachment?

Retinal detachment can occur for various reasons, but the most common are aging and severe eye trauma.

As we age, the vitreous body—the clear gel that fills the inside of the eye—starts to shrink and become more liquefied. Normally, when we move our eyes, the vitreous moves smoothly without harming the retina. But when it shrinks with age and loses its elasticity, it can tug on the retina where it is attached and cause a tear or pull the retina away from its normal position.

There are three main types of retinal detachment:

Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

If you have a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, it means there is a hole, tear, or break in the retina. This opening allows fluid from the vitreous cavity to pass through and accumulate underneath the retina. As fluid collects, it lifts the retina off the underlying tissue that supplies it with blood and oxygen. This barrier between the retina and its blood supply weakens retinal cells and leads to their death. This is the most common type of retinal detachment.

Tractional Retinal Detachment

For this type of detachment to occur, there must be scar tissue on the surface of the retina. It is called “tractional” because this scar tissue can contract and pull on the retina, dragging it away from its normal position and causing it to detach.

This type is less common and is seen more often in people with diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy can cause abnormal blood vessel growth and scarring on the retina due to poor blood flow and chronic changes in the retinal vasculature. At any time, this scar tissue can contract and pull the retinal tissue away.

Exudative (Serous) Retinal Detachment

In this type, there is no actual tear or hole in the retina. Instead, certain eye diseases or systemic conditions cause fluid to build up underneath the retina, lifting it away from the underlying tissue. Examples include:

[لم تُذكر الأمثلة في النص الأصلي، ويمكن إضافة حالات مثل: الأورام داخل العين، الالتهابات الشديدة، اعتلالات الأوعية الدموية… وغيرها.]

How Is Retinal Damage and Detachment Treated?

The treatment options available to you depend on the extent of the detachment and the severity of your symptoms. A retina specialist (ophthalmologist) may recommend surgery, cryotherapy (freezing), or other procedures designed to reposition the detached retina, secure it in place, and help it reattach to the underlying tissue.

At Batal Specialty Center, we use several diagnostic technologies that allow us to quickly confirm the diagnosis and start the most appropriate treatment based on the patient’s condition and overall health status. Here are some of the available options:

Laser Photocoagulation

If you have a retinal hole or tear but the retina is still largely in its normal position, your doctor may seal the tear with laser photocoagulation. The laser produces controlled burns around the tear, and as the tissue heals, a firm scar forms that seals the opening and prevents fluid from passing through and causing a detachment.

Pneumatic Retinopexy

In this procedure, the retina specialist injects a small gas bubble into the eye. This bubble rises and presses gently against the detached area of the retina, pushing it back toward the wall of the eye so it can reattach. Your doctor may ask you to maintain a specific head position for several days to keep the bubble in the correct place.

Over time, the eye naturally produces fluid that gradually replaces the gas and fills the vitreous cavity, helping to hold the retina in position. The doctor may combine this with laser treatment or cryotherapy at the area of detachment to create strong adhesive scar tissue between the retina and the back wall of the eye.

Scleral Buckling Surgery

In more severe cases of retinal detachment, the patient is admitted to the hospital for surgery. During scleral buckling, the surgeon places a flexible silicone band (buckle) around the outside of the eyeball. This band gently indents the wall of the eye inward, reducing traction on the retina and helping it reattach.

This procedure is often combined with cryotherapy or laser treatment to encourage scar formation and secure the retina. The silicone band usually remains in place permanently and does not interfere with vision.

Vitrectomy (Pars Plana Vitrectomy)

When the vitreous gel loses its normal consistency with age or disease, it can put ongoing traction on the retina and increase the risk of detachment. In such cases, some ophthalmologists recommend removing the vitreous altogether and replacing it with a clear substance that can fill the space and support the retina—such as a gas bubble, saline solution, or silicone oil. At the same time, the retina is repositioned and stabilized in its correct location.

After vitrectomy, there are important precautions the patient must follow. If a gas bubble is used, the patient should not fly or travel to high altitudes because changes in atmospheric pressure can affect the gas bubble and dangerously increase eye pressure. If silicone oil is used, it is usually removed and replaced after several months.

This surgery is typically performed under general anesthesia, and your ophthalmologist may ask you to stay in the hospital overnight for observation.

My Experience With Retinal Detachment

As an eye hospital that has managed many cases of retinal detachment, we have gained experience and insights from our patients that may help others. There are a number of common issues and expectations that patients may encounter after treatment, such as:

[يمكن ذكر أمثلة: بطء تحسّن الرؤية، رؤية مشوشة أو متموجة فترة من الزمن، الحاجة للالتزام بوضعية معينة للرأس… إلخ.]

Our patients often share their concerns and expectations with us, and we work to address their symptoms in a way that helps them achieve the best possible visual clarity and overcome vision problems that interfere with their daily activities.

If you’re experiencing any eye problems or are worried about your vision, schedule an appointment at our clinics to receive appropriate, specialized care.