Detached and Torn Retina
a brief explanation

ne out of every 10,000 people in the United States will be affected by retinal detachment this year.  It is a problem that occurs usually in the middle-aged up to the elderly.  Higher risk groups include; nearsighted people and people with a family history of retinal detachment.  A hard blow to the eye or head can also cause a detachment of the retina.  Most retinal detachments are caused by small holes or tears in the retina, although normal aging can cause the retina to become thin due to shrinkage of the vitreous body (the thin jelly-like substance that fills the inside of the eyeball and holds its roundness).  When the vitreous body shrinks, it can pull a section of retina away from the back wall of the eyeball leaving a tear in the retina.  The part of the retina that pulls away or tears will not work properly and could result in blurring of vision.

Commonly, middle-aged and elderly people may experience floaters.  Floaters are small specs, sometimes described as “bugs” or “spider webs”, which move in your field of vision.  In most cases, these floaters and "flashes" of light in the vision indicate vitreous separation.   However, more serious conditions such as retinal tears, inflammatory conditions, infections and hemorrhages in the eye can also cause floaters.  Therefore, an ophthalmological examination is highly recommended and should be performed soon after these symptoms occur because a fresh retinal tear may be treated before it leads to the more serious retinal detachment.

Some retinal detachments develop symptoms of wavy or watery vision or even the appearance of a dark shadow somewhere in the field of vision.   Rarely, a retinal detachment will occur suddenly and lead to a total loss of functional vision in one eye.  These cases should be seen by an ophthalmologist immediately. 

If treatment is necessary, there are a variety of ways that the surgeon can treat a retinal detachment.  More than 90% of retinal detachments can be re-attached.  Occasionally more than one surgery is needed.   The amount of vision that returns after treatment usually depends on how long the retina was detached or if there is fibrous growth on the retina.  The majority of patients with a surgically treated retinal detachment assume useful vision post-operatively.

St. Luke's Cataract & Laser Institute provides this on-line information for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice.  Information published on this St. Luke's website is not intended to replace, supplant, or augment a consultation with an eyecare professional regarding the viewer/user's own medical care.  St. Luke's disclaims any and all liability for injury or other damages that could result from use of the information obtained from this site.