Understanding Retinal Detachment and Its Warning Signs

Retinal detachment happens when the light-sensitive retina peels away from the wall of the eye. Once detached, retinal tissue starts to lose function within hours to days, which makes this one of the few true emergencies in eye care.

The three warning signs

• Sudden floaters. A shower of new specks or cobwebs drifting across your vision, especially if it appears all at once.
• Flashes of light. Brief arcs of light in the peripheral vision, most noticeable in a dark room.
• A shadow or curtain. A dark area spreading in from the edge of your vision. This means the retina is already detaching.

Any of these warrants a dilated retinal examination the same day. Not next week.

Who is at higher risk

Risk rises with high myopia, previous cataract surgery, a history of detachment in the other eye, a family history, and any significant blunt injury to the eye.

Treatment

A retinal tear caught before the retina detaches can often be sealed with laser in the clinic. Once detachment has occurred, surgery is needed — usually micro-incision vitrectomy surgery (MIVS), sometimes with a scleral buckle or gas tamponade.

The outlook

Results depend heavily on how quickly treatment begins and whether the macula — the central vision area — has detached. Detachments repaired before the macula is involved usually retain excellent vision, which is exactly why the warning signs matter.