The retina is a thin disc-shaped layer of light-sensitive tissue on the back wall of the eye. It translates what we see into neural impulses and sends them to the brain via the optic nerve.

A retinal detachment is a separation of the retina from its attachments to its underlying tissue within the eye. Most retinal detachments are a result of a retinal break, hole, or tear.

The types of retinal detachment are:

·         Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

·         Exudative, serous, or secondary retinal detachment

·         Tractional retinal detachment

A retinal detachment is commonly preceded by a posterior vitreous detachment which gives rise to these symptoms:

·         flashes of light (photopsia) - very brief in the extreme temporal (outside away from the nose) part of vision

·         a sudden dramatic increase in the number of floaters

·         a ring of floaters or hairs just to the temporal side of the central vision

·         a slight feeling of heaviness in the eye

Retinal detachments are treated with surgery that may require the patient to stay in the hospital. In some cases a tiny synthetic band is attached to the outside of the eyeball to gently push the wall of the eye against the detached retina. If necessary, doctor makes a tiny incision in the sclera (the procedure is called vitrectomy). Gas is often injected to into the eye to replace the vitreous and reattach the retina; the gas pushes the retina back against the wall of the eye. During the healing process, the eye makes fluid that gradually replaces the gas and fills the eye. With all of these procedures, either laser or cryopexy is used to "weld" the retina back in place.

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