Retinopexy is a medical procedure used to treat retinal detachment, a condition where the retina separates from the underlying tissue in the eye. The procedure typically involves using a laser or freezing technique to create scars that help reattach the retina to the back of the eye. This intervention aims to restore vision and prevent further complications. Retinopexy is often performed on an outpatient basis and can be effective in preserving vision if done promptly.
laser retinopexy
pneumatic retinopexy, which is used when the tear is located in the upper portion of the eye
retinopexy
Laser retinopexy is the term for reattaching a detached retina using laser therapy. This procedure involves using a laser to create burns around the retinal tear to seal it and prevent further detachment.
Common surgical techniques include scleral buckle, pneumatic retinopexy, and vitrectomy. The choice of surgery depends on the type and severity of retinal detachment.
If a patient cannot see after a pneumatic retinopexy procedure, it may indicate complications such as retinal detachment, persistent vitreous hemorrhage, or failure of the gas bubble to adequately support the retina. It’s essential for the patient to follow up with their ophthalmologist for a thorough examination to determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment. In some cases, vision may improve over time, but timely intervention is crucial for the best possible outcome.
After numbing the eye with a local anesthesia, the surgeon injects a small gas bubble into the inside of the eye. The bubble presses against the retina, flattening it against the back wall of the eye.
Retinopexy is surgical fixation of the retina.
While surgery is the most common and effective treatment for retinal detachment, the specific approach may vary. In some cases, a procedure called pneumatic retinopexy or laser surgery may be appropriate. The choice depends on factors like the severity and location of the detachment.
Detached Retina Symptoms - Fast Action Can Save Your EyesAre you experiencing hazy vision or are you bothered by floating specks? These are symptoms of a detached retina which needs immediate attention from your doctor. If not attended to right away, then this condition can lead to blindness. In order to properly function, the retina should receive oxygen and nutrients from the blood vessels underneath. When it separates from the blood vessels, the condition is called retinal detachment. In the United States alone, approximately 20,000 people annually suffer from retinal detachment. It is the result of an eye injury, cataract surgery, or an extreme case of nearsightedness.Men are more prone to having this condition than their female counterparts and its onset is higher in people with eye tumor and hypertension. Genetics also play a crucial factor in the development of the condition as it has the tendency to run in families. Doctors characterize it as a medical emergency which requires immediate surgery because it could lead to the permanent loss of vision in the affected eye.Although the condition is painless, detached retina symptoms manifest themselves prior to the detachment. It involves the shrinking and sagging of the vitreous fluid within the eyeballs. The tugging of the retina results to the sensation of flashing images. When strong enough, this may cause the retinal tear and consequently damage the small blood vessels paving the way for blood to seep into the vitreous.Whether or not surgical procedures will help is determined by the condition of the patient. For example, if there is only retinal tearing but no detachment from the blood vessels below is involved, laser treatment or photocoagulation can undo the damage. Likewise, performing cryopexy, which involves application of cold temperature to produce a scar which holds the retina in place, can also repair the damaged retina.Surgical procedures are only resorted to when there is detachment of the retina. The treatment should be performed at once because rods and cones die when detached from their source of nourishment for an extended period of time. This could lead to permanent blindness and nothing can bring back the loss vision.Detached retina symptoms are usually treated using one of three surgical methods, some of which are integrated with photocoagulation or cryopexy. These surgical procedures are designed to close retinal holes or tears in order to minimize the tugging of the retina from a shrinking vitreous. The kind of procedure to be recommended by the surgeon is dependent on the kind, size, and position of the detached retina. These procedures can successfully treat over 90 percent of retinal detachment patients although another treatment is sometimes needed.Looking to make a change? Nothing can make a dramatic impact like non prescription colored contacts. See how cosmetic contact lenses can change your life.
DefinitionRetinal detachment repair is eye surgery to place a detached retina back into its normal position.A detached retina means the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye has separated from its supporting layers.Alternative NamesScleral buckling; Vitrectomy; Pneumatic retinopexy; Laser retinopexyDescriptionMost detachment repair operations are urgent. A detached retina lacks oxygen, which causes cells in the area to die. This can lead to blindness.If holes in the retina are found before a detachment occurs, an opthalmologist can close the holes using a laser. This is usually done in the doctor's office.If the retina has just started to separate, a procedure called pneumatic retinopexy may be done to repair it. Pneumatic retinopexy (gas bubble placement) is also usually an office procedure. The health care provider injects a bubble of gas into your eye. You will be positioned so the gas floats up against the hole in the retina and pushes it back into place. The surgeon will use a laser to permanently seal the hole.More severe detachments require more advanced surgery. The following procedures are done in a hospital or outpatient surgery center:The scleral buckle method bends the wall of the eye inward so that it meets the hole in the retina. Scleral buckling can be done under local or general anesthesia.The vitrectomy procedure uses very small instruments inside the eye to pull the retina forward. Most vitrectomies are done under local anesthesia.For some complex detachments, both procedures may be done during the same operation.Why the Procedure Is PerformedRetinal detachments do not improve without treatment. Repair is necessary to prevent permanent vision loss.The urgency of the surgery depends on the location of the detachment. If the detachment has not affected the central vision area (the macula), surgery should be done quickly, usually the same day. This is necessary to prevent further detachment of the retina.If the macula detaches, the surgery can still be done, but the vision result will not be as good. If the macula has already detached, there is less urgency. Surgeons can wait a week to 10 days to schedule surgery.RisksRisks for retinal detachment surgery may include:Detachment not completely fixed (may require additional surgeries)Increase in eye pressure (elevated intraocular pressure)BleedingInfectionGeneral anesthesia may be required. The risks for any anesthesia are:Reactions to medicationsProblems breathingAfter the ProcedureThe chances of successful reattachment of the retina depend on the number of holes, their size, and whether there is scar tissue in the area.Most of the time, the retina can be reattached with only one operation, although some people need several surgeries. Less than 10% of detachments cannot be repaired. Failure to repair the retina always leads to poor or no vision in the eye.After surgery, the quality of vision depends on where the detachment occurred:If the central area of vision was not involved, vision will usually be very good.If the central area of vision was involved for less than 1 week, vision will usually be improved, but not 20/20 (normal).If the central area of vision was detached for a long time, vision will return, but it will not be sharp.Outlook (Prognosis)The procedures usually do not require an overnight hospital stay.You will need to limit activities for some time.If the doctor repaired the retina using the gas bubble procedure, you must keep your head face down or turned to one side for several weeks. It is important to maintain this position so the gas bubble pushes the retina in place. Patients with a gas bubble in the eye may not fly.ReferencesYanoff M, Duker JS, Augsburger JJ, et al. Ophthalmology. 2nd ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2004:786-791.Costarides AP. Elevated intraocular pressure following vitreoretinal surgery. Ophthalmol Clin North Am. 2004;17(4):507-512.
The vitreous is a gel-like fluid which fills most of the eye. As people age, this vitreous becomes more and more liquefied. The vitreous has loose attachments to the retina, and more firm attachments to the optic nerve. At some point in a person's life, the vitreous liquefies enough to shift position in the eye. When this occurs, usually between age 50 and 70, the back edge of the vitreous will pull forward away from the retina, leading to a "vitreous detachment". This is generally a normal process, although it may happen abnormally early in cases of high nearsightedness or trauma. As the vitreous detaches, it tugs on the retina. This is perceived as a flash of light, similar to a lightning flash in the corner of the vision. It may occur especially with eye movement, since the vitreous moves in the eye. Debris pulled off of the optic nerve and retina are then seen as floaters, suspended in the vitreous above the retina. Sometimes this is described as a cobweb, a net, a string, or a fly over the vision.