RETINAL DETACHMENT
Why is a retinal tear considered a serious problem? When a tear
of the retina occurs, the liquid in the vitreous cavity may pass through the tear and get
under the retina. The liquid collects under the retina and lifts it up off the back wall
of the eye. Little by little, the liquid from the vitreous passes through the retinal tear
and settles under the retina, separating it from the back wall of the eye. This separation
of the retina is called a retinal detachment. Vision is lost wherever the retina becomes
detached. Because most tears are located in the peripheral (or side of the) retina, the
retinal detachment first results in loss of side, or peripheral, vision. A patient may
notice a dark shadow, or a veil, coming from one side, above, or below. In most cases, the
entire retina eventually detaches and all useful vision in that eye is lost.
Who gets retinal detachments? Each year in the United States
approximately one in 10,000 people develops a retinal detachment. Certain people have
greater chance of getting a retinal detachment than others: those with a high degree of
nearsightedness, a family history of retinal detachment, or those who once had a retinal
detachment in the other eye. Patients who have a thinning of the retina (termed
"lattice degeneration") or other degenerative changes of the retina are also at
an increased risk. Patients who have had cataract surgery have about a 1% to 2% chance of
developing a retinal detachment. A person in any of these high risk groups should have a
thorough retinal examination regularly and should be seen immediately if they experience
sudden flashing of lights, new floaters, or loss of peripheral vision.
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