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Retinal Detachment Surgery Specialist

Suburban Eye Associates

Ophthalmologists & Eye Surgeons located in Philadelphia, Jenkintown, & Huntingdon Valley, PA

If your vision has suddenly darkened and blurred, and you’re seeing a large number of floaters or flashes of light in your line of sight, you may have a detached retina, which requires quick intervention with retinal detachment surgery. If you suspect you have a detached retina, quickly contact the team of optometrists and ophthalmologists at Suburban Eye Associates located in Huntingdon Valley, Jenkintown, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to schedule a consultation. Call the office nearest you today.

Retinal Detachment Surgery Q&A

What is retinal detachment?

Retinal detachment is an emergency that occurs when your retina pulls away from its normal position. 

The retina is a thin layer of nerve cell tissue that lines the back of your eye’s inside wall. The retina uses photoreceptors to convert refracted light into neural signals and send them to the brain for visual interpretation. 

When your retina becomes detached, it can’t get the oxygen and nourishment it needs from your blood vessels. The longer this goes on, the more likely you are to develop permanent vision loss in that eye.


What are the symptoms of retinal detachment?

Retinal detachment presents symptoms like:


  • Suddenly darkened vision
  • Flashes of light in the affected eye
  • The sudden appearance tiny spots floating through your line of sight (floaters)
  • Gradually reduced peripheral vision
  • Suddenly blurred vision


It’s common for you to notice flashes and floaters in your vision from time to time. The difference between them is that, with retinal detachment, the flashes and floaters appear suddenly or suddenly become much more severe. 


How do you repair retinal detachment?

The only way to repair your retina after detachment is with retinal detachment surgery. There is more than one type of retinal detachment surgery. Suburban Eye Associates decides which one is best for you based on numerous factors, particularly the severity of your detachment.

The most common retinal detachment surgery strategies are: 

Pneumatic retinopexy

During this procedure, your team injects an air bubble or gas bubble into the center of your eye, called the vitreous cavity. The bubble pushes against the hole or holes in your retina and hinders the flow of fluid filling up space behind your retina.

Your eye then naturally absorbs this fluid, allowing the retina to move into place. As an added assurance, your team then repairs the retinal break by causing it to scar using a freezing probe.

After pneumatic retinopexy, you may need to hold your head in a specific position to keep the bubble in place. After a few to several days, the bubble reabsorbs.

Scleral buckling

Scleral buckling is a procedure that indents the surface of your eye to relieve some of the force caused by tugging on your retina. Scleral buckling does not impede your vision.


To do this, they stitch a piece of silicone material to your sclera, which is the white of your eye. To correct a significant detachment, your team can encircle your entire eye with a scleral buckle that behaves like a belt. Scleral buckling is usually permanent.

Vitrectomy

During a vitrectomy, your Suburban Eye Associates team drains the vitreous fluid in your eye and removes any tissue tugging on the retina. Then, they replace the vitreous fluid with gas, air, or silicone oil to flatten your retina. 

If you’re experiencing the symptoms of retinal detachment, reach out to Suburban Eye Associates. Schedule your consultation by phone right away.