At the time you make the appointment, ask if you need to do anything in advance. Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions.Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment. Take advantage of online networks, support groups and resources for people with impaired vision. Investigate vans and shuttles, volunteer driving networks, or ride shares available in your area for people with impaired vision. Digital talking books and computer screen readers can help with reading, and other new technology continues to advance. Tell friends and family members about your vision problems so they can help you. Consider installing motion-activated lights. Eliminate throw rugs and place colored tape on the edges of steps. Have proper light in your home for reading and other activities. Request safety lenses to protect your better-seeing eye. Optimize the vision you have with glasses that are specifically tailored for your eyes. You may find the following ideas useful as you learn to live with impaired vision: Depending on your degree of vision loss, your lifestyle might change significantly. Retinal detachment may cause you to lose vision. Some people never recover all of their lost vision. You may need a second surgery for successful treatment. Vitrectomy may be combined with a scleral buckling procedure.Īfter surgery your vision may take several months to improve. If silicone oil was used, it may be surgically removed months later. Air, gas or silicone oil is then injected into the vitreous space to help flatten the retina.Įventually the air, gas or liquid will be absorbed, and the vitreous space will refill with body fluid. In this procedure, called vitrectomy (vih-TREK-tuh-me), the surgeon removes the vitreous along with any tissue that is tugging on the retina. The buckle is placed in a way that doesn't block your vision, and it usually remains in place permanently.ĭraining and replacing the fluid in the eye. If you have several tears or holes or an extensive detachment, your surgeon may create a scleral buckle that encircles your entire eye like a belt. This procedure indents the wall of the eye and relieves some of the force caused by the vitreous tugging on the retina. This procedure, called scleral (SKLAIR-ul) buckling, involves the surgeon sewing (suturing) a piece of silicone material to the white of your eye (sclera) over the affected area. The bubble eventually will reabsorb on its own. You may need to hold your head in a certain position for up to several days to keep the bubble in the proper position. Your doctor also uses cryopexy during the procedure to repair the retinal break.įluid that had collected under the retina is absorbed by itself, and the retina can then adhere to the wall of your eye. If positioned properly, the bubble pushes the area of the retina containing the hole or holes against the wall of the eye, stopping the flow of fluid into the space behind the retina. In this procedure, called pneumatic retinopexy (RET-ih-no-pek-see), the surgeon injects a bubble of air or gas into the center part of the eye (the vitreous cavity). The type of surgery your surgeon recommends will depend on several factors, including how severe the detachment is. If your retina has detached, you'll need surgery to repair it, preferably within days of a diagnosis. The bubble applies gentle pressure, helping a detached section of the retina to reattach to the eyeball. Retinal detachmentĪfter sealing a retinal tear with cryopexy, a gas bubble is injected into the vitreous. After your procedure, you'll likely be advised to avoid activities that might jar the eyes - such as running - for a couple of weeks or so. The freezing causes a scar that helps secure the retina to the eye wall.īoth of these procedures are done on an outpatient basis. After giving you a local anesthetic to numb your eye, the surgeon applies a freezing probe to the outer surface of the eye directly over the tear. The laser makes burns around the retinal tear, creating scarring that usually 'welds' the retina to underlying tissue. The surgeon directs a laser beam into the eye through the pupil. When a retinal tear or hole hasn't yet progressed to detachment, your eye surgeon may suggest one of the following procedures to prevent retinal detachment and preserve vision. Together you can determine what procedure or combination of procedures is best for you. Ask your ophthalmologist about the risks and benefits of your treatment options. Surgery is almost always used to repair a retinal tear, hole or detachment.

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