What happens if you have a retinal hole?
A macular hole is a small break in the macula, located in the center of the eye’s light-sensitive tissue called the retina. The macula provides the sharp, central vision we need for reading, driving, and seeing fine detail. A macular hole can cause blurred and distorted central vision.
Is a retinal hole serious?
Retinal holes and tears do not automatically cause severe vision problems; instead, the areas of the retina that have holes and tears will not function correctly. If the condition is not well managed or treated in due time, then significant vision loss or even blindness can occur.
What can be done for a hole in the retina?
The main types of treatment are:
- Laser photocoagulation. Highly focused beams of light seal the tissue around the hole or tear.
- Cryopexy. An instrument called a cryoprobe is used to freeze the tissue around the hole and secure it to the inside of the eyeball.
- Diathermy.
What causes a hole in the retina of the eye?
Vitreous traction: the vitreous is the “gel” that fills up the inside of the eye. With normal aging, the vitreous can shrink and pull away from the retina, sometimes creating a macular hole in the process.
What kind of retinal detachment is treated medically?
Physicians perform three types of eye surgery for actual retinal detachment: vitrectomy, scleral buckling, and pneumatic retinopexy. Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV or vitrectomy involving removal of the vitreous gel of the eye) is the most common surgery performed for a retinal detachment today.
Is a retinal hole the same as a macular hole?
A retinal hole is a small break or defect in the light-sensitive retina that lines the inside of the back of the eye. Retinal holes can occur anywhere in the retina. When a hole develops in the macula lutea (the most sensitive part of the central retina), it’s called a macular hole.
Where can I get a retinal detachment repaired?
The doctors at Connecticut Retina Consultants use the most current methods of retinal detachment repair that can be done on an outpatient basis and sometimes even in the office. The intention of retinal repair is to get rid of the fluid underneath the retina and allow it to lie flat on the concave contour of the wall of the eye.
How does an eye doctor check for retinal detachment?
If you see any warning signs of a retinal detachment, your eye doctor can check your eyes with a dilated eye exam. The exam is simple and painless — your doctor will give you some eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupil and then look at your retina at the back of your eye.
Can an optometrist diagnose a retinal tear?
An ophthalmologist can take a look at your eye and determine whether there are any tears. Click to see full answer. In this way, can an optometrist diagnose retinal detachment? NYU Langone ophthalmologists diagnose a retinal detachment during a routine eye exam.
Which is the most common type of retinal detachment?
The most common type of retinal detachment is called rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Rhegmatogenous retinal detachments occur when fluid from the vitreous cavity flows through a retinal tear and slips underneath the retina, thus raising it up off the wall of the eye.
How is retinal detachment due to macular hole treated?
Although we typically do not use ICG in idiopathic macular hole cases, we do find ICG staining helpful in those eyes with a posterior staphyloma. Fluid-air exchange is used to flatten the retinal detachment while gently draining the subretinal fluid through the macular hole.
What is the medical term for retinal detachment?
Retinal detachment is an emergency condition where the neuro-sensory tissue in the back of the eye (retina) separates from its blood supply. What is a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment? Rhegmatogenous detached retinas are the most common detachments and happen because of a hole or tear in the retina, usually in the peripheral retina.
How is retinal detachment treated in highly myopic eyes?
Clinical assessment of retinal anatomy and the vitreoretinal interface is difficult in highly myopic eyes with a posterior staphyloma. The thin retina and light coloration of the retinal pigment epithelium and choroid make it difficult to appreciate surface changes and thickening of the retina.
Can a detached retina be seen from outside the eye?
You cannot see a detached retina from outside the eye, nor do they cause pain. Only a dilated eye exam can diagnose retinal tears and retinal detachment. Diagnosis is made by looking in your eye using a lighted magnifying instrument and a lens to examine the retina, which is the inside back of the eye.