Eye diseases and refraction anomalies
- Children ophthalmology
- Glaucoma
- Cataract
- Diseases of cornea
- Retinal diseases
- Retinal detachment
- Diseases of the optic nerve
- Intraocular neoplasms
Retinal detachment
Retinal detachment – it is a process of the eye retinal coating separation from the vessel coating. They are close together in a healthy eye.
Retinal detachment often leads to a significant vision impairment and blindness. Most often it happens due to trauma and nearsightedness as well as diabetic retinopathy, intraocular neoplasms, retinal coating dystrophy etc.
Retinal detachment often leads to a significant vision impairment and blindness. Most often it happens due to trauma and nearsightedness as well as diabetic retinopathy, intraocular neoplasms, retinal coating dystrophy etc.
What is retinal detachment
Retinal detachment is a process of the eye retinal coating separation from its vessel coating. They are close together in a healthy eye. Retinal detachment often leads to a significant vision impairment and blindness. Most often it happens due to trauma and nearsightedness as well as diabetic retinopathy, intraocular neoplasms, retinal coating dystrophy etc.
Our eye is often compared with a photo camera, where cornea and lens are playing the role of an objective: they are letting through and bending light beams, falling on the eye. The role of a light sensitive film is played by retina: everything we see is reflected in it. Retina of the eye is thin, tender coating, similar to a light veil. It consists of multiple neural cells and its outgrowths. The cells receiving light are called rods and cons. There are more rods than cons in the eye retina: there are about 170 million rods and 8 million cons. In the result of light influence the optical pigment disaggregates and special substance irritant is formed. They are creating a special electrical discharge, which is transferred along the neural cells of retina as along electric wires, then by the optic nerve to the brain. In the cortex, more precisely in the posterior part of it, this electrical signal is transformed in a visual image.
Rods and cons are spread in retina non-homogenously. Each kind of these cells has their own special functions. Cons are concentrated in the centre of retina, in the place where beams fall from the things that we look at. They provide the person with high vision acuity, perception of colours and tones of them. Rods enable us to see in dusk and to orientate in the environment. Rods are located relatively homogenously in whole retina, but their amount increases from the centre. In normal conditions retina is close to the vascular coating, receiving nutrition from it. Why retina being so tightly placed in the eyeball is movable, is able to detach, stopping its function? What are the reasons of it?
Rods and cons are spread in retina non-homogenously. Each kind of these cells has their own special functions. Cons are concentrated in the centre of retina, in the place where beams fall from the things that we look at. They provide the person with high vision acuity, perception of colours and tones of them. Rods enable us to see in dusk and to orientate in the environment. Rods are located relatively homogenously in whole retina, but their amount increases from the centre. In normal conditions retina is close to the vascular coating, receiving nutrition from it. Why retina being so tightly placed in the eyeball is movable, is able to detach, stopping its function? What are the reasons of it?
Retinal detachment reasons
Specialists point out the main reason of this disease – breaks of the retinal coating. Retina is not moved from its place if it is hermetic (maintains its entirety) and there are no breaks. If a break has occurred the liquid leaks through it under retina and detaches it from the vascular coating.
The main reasons of break formation in retina are tractions of vitreous body due to changes of its normal condition. This process takes place as follows: in normal conditions vitreous body is similar a transparent gel. In the result of some eye diseases it changes and becomes cloudy with thick fibres, connected with retina. During eye movements the fibres are pulling retina behind them – it can result in its break.
Specialists point out the main reason of this disease – breaks of the retinal coating. Retina is not moved from its place if it is hermetic (maintains its entirety) and there are no breaks. If a break has occurred the liquid leaks through it under retina and detaches it from the vascular coating.
The main reasons of break formation in retina are tractions of vitreous body due to changes of its normal condition. This process takes place as follows: in normal conditions vitreous body is similar a transparent gel. In the result of some eye diseases it changes and becomes cloudy with thick fibres, connected with retina. During eye movements the fibres are pulling retina behind them – it can result in its break.
Retinal breaks may happen also due to its dystrophy (sheering). Large breaks often happen in the result of eye traumas.
Symptoms of retinal detachment
Success of retinal detachment treatment directly depends of physician’s visit in time. The earlier the disease is diagnosed and the reasons of it are found, the faster the required treatment can be started and the better is the result.
What can be the sign of a beginning of retinal detachment?
Symptoms of retinal detachment
Success of retinal detachment treatment directly depends of physician’s visit in time. The earlier the disease is diagnosed and the reasons of it are found, the faster the required treatment can be started and the better is the result.
What can be the sign of a beginning of retinal detachment?
· Sensation of a veil in front of eyes. Patients unsuccessfully try to take it off, washing eyes or using eye drops. One should remember in this case and to tell the physician from which side the net started to appear as it can enlarge with time and to take over the whole vision field.
· Blinks that look like
· Distortion of the read letter, seen things, missing of some parts in the vision field – all this is a sign that detachment of retina involved the central part of retina.
Patients notice sometimes, that vision is better after a sleep. It is explained by the fact that retina returns back in its place in horizontal position of the body, but it detaches the vascular coating and vision defects return back.
It is not possible to treat retinal detachment with any drops, tablets or injections. The only method to restore vision and maintain the eye is an operation.
Neural cells, rods and cones, are destroyed first during retinal detachment. The longer the detachment lasts the more those cells are destroyed and the worse is vision even after a successful operation.
Remember! If the disease is neglected, a threat of possible chronic inflammation, cataract development may occur, the eye can lose the vision completely. One should be especially cautious if retinal detachment has already happened in one eye. They should consult the ophthalmologist regularly. In case of suspicious symptoms the patient should consult his physician immediately.
Neural cells, rods and cones, are destroyed first during retinal detachment. The longer the detachment lasts the more those cells are destroyed and the worse is vision even after a successful operation.
Remember! If the disease is neglected, a threat of possible chronic inflammation, cataract development may occur, the eye can lose the vision completely. One should be especially cautious if retinal detachment has already happened in one eye. They should consult the ophthalmologist regularly. In case of suspicious symptoms the patient should consult his physician immediately.
Diagnostics
Only a specialist can detect if You have a retinal detachment and its degree. In the EYE MICROSURGERY CENTRE (ACU MIKROKIRURGIJAS CENTRS) all the necessary investigations will be performed by the help of a modern equipment of high accuracy.
Diagnostics of retinal detachment is done by the following investigations:
· vision acuity check, it will show the real condition of the retinal central part;
· the side vision check (perimetry) for evaluation of retina in the periphery;
· measurement of intraocular pressure (tonometry); in the result of retinal detachment it can be lower than normal (normal is 16-25 mm Hg);
· special electrophysiological examination will enable to evaluate vitality of the neural cells in retina and the optic nerve;
· examination of fundus oculi (ophthalmoscopy). It enables to evaluate the places of retinal breaks and their number; to find out sheered areas, which may lead to new nidus of the disease appearance;
· examination with ultrasound will help to evaluate the size of the detached retina and condition of the vitreous body. This examination is especially important in cloudy cornea, lens or vitreous body, when it is impossible to see retina.
Results of the listed investigations and examination of fundus oculi, enables the physician to recommend You the necessary treatment.
Treatment
The aim of the surgical treatment of retinal detachment consists of finding the retinal break and its closure. In order to do it, inflammation is created around the break (by criopexy with cold or laser) and following scarring in the area of the break. All this restores its hermetism (entirety). For hermetism improvement the coatings of the eyeball are moved closer to each other in the following way: a special silicone seal in a form of a band is introduced at the eyeball which is pushing the wall of the eye and pushing the vascular coating nearer to the detached retina.
Depending on the exact type of retinal detachment the surgeon will choose one of the certain surgical methods of their combination:
· local sealing in the broken zone of retina is performed in cases when retina is detached partially;
· circular sealing is performed in more sever cases when retina has detached completely;
· vitrectomy – a method when the changed vitreous body is extracted and replaced by one of necessary medications: physiological solution, liquid silicone, liquid perfluoro-hydrocarbon compound or a special gas that is pushing retina from inside towards the vascular coating;
· laser coagulation for limitation of the broken zone and sheered parts of retina.
A method of combined allretinopexy is developed and successfully applied for treatment of severe forms of retinal detachment – flexible and elastic copolymer collagen implants fixing retina to the vascular coating and sclera with the help of special materials.
Depending on severity of the operation within several days after it may be sometimes necessary for the patient to hold the head in a certain position. For example, to lie with the face downwards, on high pillows or to avoid use of pillows at all. Specialists recommend keeping confinement to bed for the first 1-3 days.
Is it possible to prevent occurrence of retinal detachment
It is possible in some cases. If you are nearsighted or have retinal dystrophy, it is necessary to consult the ophthalmologist and in case of necessity to perform prophylactic treatment. For retinal detachment prophylaxis laser or ultrasound is used.
Operation of the vitreous body replacement may be applied in case of changes in it.
For eye traumatic prophylaxis, that is an often reason of retinal detachment, especially in young men, it is necessary to follow elementary safety regulations and caution in manufacturing as well as in social life.
How to use eye drops correctly
You will have to use anti-inflammatory eye drops in the operated eye independently for the first month and a half. Learn to do it correctly!
Unbend Your head a little back. You should look upwards. Pull the lower lid slightly down and drop the medicine in it. 1-2 drops are sufficient. Try not to touch skin of lids and eyelashes with the end of dropper.
If the doctor has prescribed You several medicines, they should be used with intervals of 20-30 seconds.
Recommendations for the fastest recovery
In order to fasten the post-operative period and avoid complications, follow recommendations of our specialists:
· strictly keep the prescribed for You regimen;
· do not rub the operated eye and do not push on it;
· avoid water and soap contact with the eye when having shower or bath. You can cover the eye with a sterile gauze or adhesive tape. It is recommended to use disinfectant eye drops after the shower;
· use sun protective glasses on the street;
· avoid to exposure the operated eye to fast temperature changes: avoid using bath, swimming-pool, sauna during the first 3 months after the operation;
· do not lift heavy things;
· avoid physical job during the first 3 months after the operation, especially with bending the head downwards;
· do not bend yourself to lift anything from the floor but squat;
· avoid fast movements of the head; imagine if you had a glass of water on your head and you should move so that the water is not slopped out;
· cosmetics for eyes should not be used earlier than 2 months after the operation;
· sport activities should be completely excluded for the first 3 months after the operation. You will be able to start performing morning gymnastics, to swim, to run and other physical exercises not connected with fast jarring and tension of the body (running for short distances, jumping into water, riding, weight lifting, boxing are completely excluded);
· do not drive a car until the eye is completely healed.
If You have vision disturbances, narrowing of the vision field, duplication, visionary hallucinations, headache, it means that You have to consult the ophthalmologist immediately. Most often the disturbances are created by a damage of the optic nerve and optical path. The optic nerve is a cable, consisting from 1 million neural fibres, which are transferring the visual information from the eye to the centres in the brain. Changes in the optic nerve, leading to vision impairment, are caused by neoplasms and cerebral traumas, inflammatory, vascular diseases of the neural system, diseases of cardiovascular system (hypertension, atherosclerosis) and endocrine system (diabetes mellitus). Early diagnostics and timely treatment enables not only vision maintenance but also Your life in some occasions.
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