What is retinal detachment?

Question

Hi doctor,

While blinking my eyes, some round shaped image is appearing in my left eyelid. I seek doctor’s advice and he said that I have a retinal detachment. Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The round images you see are called floaters. These are associated with posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). With PVD there may be a break or hole in retina and that can lead to retinal detachment (RD). With retinal detachment initially there may be a curtain in the visual field and then the vision can decrease. Retinal detachment is an emergency condition and that need urgent management. If you have myopia (minus glasses), had any trauma to the eye, any eye surgery or family history of RD, then you are at greater risk of both PVD and RD. Are you sure that your doctor said it as retinal detachment? Or is it posterior vitreous detachment? If it is retinal detachment, then you need to go to a retinal surgeon immediately for management. He will decide the procedure you need for retinal attachment. That may be pneumatic, buckling or vitrectomy or a combined procedure. So, you need to confirm whether it is PVD or RD with your doctor.