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KEY POINTS
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The retina is the lining at the back of the eye that senses light coming into your eye. A retinal detachment is when the retina pulls away from the tissues under it. A retinal detachment is very serious and needs to be treated promptly to save your vision.
A retinal detachment is usually caused by one of two problems:
Other problems that may increase your risk of retinal detachment include:
Symptoms of a retinal detachment include:
Call your provider or go to the emergency room right away if you have these symptoms. If not treated, you may have a complete loss of vision within hours or months.
Your eye care provider will ask about your symptoms and medical history and do exams and tests such as:
If retinal detachment is caused by swelling or infection, treating those problems may be all that is needed. Other types of retinal detachment are usually treated with surgery. Different types of surgery include putting a band around the eye or placing gas or oil in the eye to reattach the retina. For most of the procedures, you can go home the same day. Your vision may be very blurry after surgery. It may take several weeks or months for the blurriness to go away. If the detachment is severe, your vision may never get back to normal.
While you recover, you may need to keep your head in a certain position, such as facing the floor, for several days or weeks so your retina heals in the right position. Your provider will tell you what position to rest your head in, how long you need to do this each day, and for how many days or weeks. Special furniture is available that can help you keep your head positioned comfortably during your recovery. Ask your provider for more information about this.
Follow the full course of treatment your healthcare provider prescribes. Ask your healthcare provider:
Make sure you know when you should come back for a checkup, and when you need to be checked for a change in eyeglasses prescription.
Sometimes scar tissue can form even after a retinal detachment is fixed. You may surgery to remove the scar. If your vision gets worse or you start having new vision problems after surgery, let your provider know.
If you are very nearsighted or have a family history of retinal detachments, see your eye care provider regularly. While you cannot prevent some changes in your eyes, finding and treating holes and tears promptly helps prevent retinal detachment.
If you have had retinal detachment in one eye, your risk of retinal detachment in the other eye is greater. See your eye care provider regularly so that any problems in your other eye can be corrected before they become more serious.