The London Retina treatment Clinic

Retinal detachment is a serious eye condition in which the retina, a thin layer of light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye responsible for capturing light and sending visual signals to the brain, pulls away from its normal position.

This occurs when one develops a retinal tear during the posterior vitreous detachment. Once the retina is torn, fluid within the eye can seep through the break to accumulate underneath the retina, effectively separating it from the wall of the eye ball.

This separation can lead to a sudden and irreversible loss of vision if left untreated.

The primary procedure used to repair retinal detachment is called retinal re-attachment surgery.

There are several surgical techniques employed, including: vitrectomy, cryoretinopexy (localised freezing of retina tissue to allow adhesion of retina to the wall of the eyeball), laser retinopexy (localised laser of the retina to achieve adhesion to eyeball as above) with gas tamponade, scleral buckling or a combination of these procedures.

Vitrectomy is a procedure in which the vitreous gel inside the eye is removed to get rid off the traction on the retina, and the retina is reattached by injecting a gas or oil bubble to push the retina back to its original position and hold together with laser or cryotherapy.

Scleral buckling involves placing a silicone band around the eye to relieve the traction, allowing re-attachment of the retina to the wall of the eye ball with the help of cryoretinopexy.

The choice of procedure depends on the severity and location of the detachment.

Symptoms and signs of retinal detachment include new and sudden onset of flashing lights in either eye, new floaters in the eye, or a “shadow or curtain” effect from the periphery of your vision.

A macular hole is a condition that affects the central part of the retina known as the macula, which is responsible for sharp and detailed central vision.

This disorder occurs when there is a small break or hole in the macular tissue, leading to distorted and blurred central vision.

Macular holes usually develop due to age-related changes of the vitreous body in eyes with abnormally strong adhesion of the vitreous at the macula.

As the vitreous body liquefies with age, the strong adhesion causes avulsion of the retinal tissue at macula, resulting in a macular hole.

Treatment of macular hole involves surgical procedures known as vitrectomy, peeling of internal limiting membrane, and gas tamponade.

During vitrectomy, the vitreous gel inside the eye is removed with a high speed pneumatic cutter and replaced with fluid. This removes all the traction on the retina.

A dye is then injected to stain a very thin connective tissue membrane on the surface of the retina, known as the internal limiting membrane.

By removing the (peeling away) the internal limiting membrane, the tissue around the macular hole becomes more mobile, and migrate to fill in the gap, thereby closing the macular hole. Finally, a gas bubble is injected to encourage migration of the surrounding tissue to fill the hole.

The visual outcome of the macular hole surgery is directly related to the size of the macular hole, which tends to enlarge with time.

Diabetic retinopathy is a sight-threatening complication of diabetes that affects the blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

Over time, high levels of blood sugar can damage these delicate blood vessels, leading to leakage, swelling, and the development of abnormal blood vessels.

IF LEFT UNTREATED, DIABETIC RETINOPATHY CAN CAUSE SEVERE VISION LOSS, INCLUDING BLINDNESS. 

The treatment for diabetic retinopathy varies depending on the stage and severity of the condition.

In the early stages, managing blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol can slow its progression.

For more advanced cases, laser therapy (photocoagulation) or anti-VEGF injections may be recommended.

Regular eye examinations are crucial for early detection and management of diabetic retinopathy to preserve vision and prevent complications.

These treatments aim to reduce abnormal blood vessel growth and prevent further damage. In advanced cases, surgery such as vitrectomy may be necessary to remove blood or scar tissue from the eye.