Can a retinal detachment be treated after one year?

Written by Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
Updated on September 03, 2024
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If retinal detachment is discovered or diagnosed only after a year, the effectiveness of surgical treatment tends to be poorer. However, if there is no eyeball atrophy, no corneal, lens, or vitreous abnormalities at this time, surgery to reposition the retina can still be considered first, followed by assessment of vision recovery. Additionally, an ophthalmic examination should be conducted, including tests like uncorrected visual acuity, corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, ocular B-ultrasound, and fundus photography, to decide and predict the outcome of the surgery and post-operative conditions. Nevertheless, even if a year has passed since the retinal detachment occurred, active treatment should still be pursued, and one should not give up.

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Written by Li Zhen Dong
Ophthalmology
48sec home-news-image

Can a retinal detachment be treated after one year?

If retinal detachment is discovered or diagnosed only after a year, the effectiveness of surgical treatment tends to be poorer. However, if there is no eyeball atrophy, no corneal, lens, or vitreous abnormalities at this time, surgery to reposition the retina can still be considered first, followed by assessment of vision recovery. Additionally, an ophthalmic examination should be conducted, including tests like uncorrected visual acuity, corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, ocular B-ultrasound, and fundus photography, to decide and predict the outcome of the surgery and post-operative conditions. Nevertheless, even if a year has passed since the retinal detachment occurred, active treatment should still be pursued, and one should not give up.

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Written by Li Zhuo
Ophthalmology
1min 11sec home-news-image

Can you take a plane with a detached retina?

Retinal detachment and flying are divided into pre-surgery and post-surgery considerations. Before retinal detachment surgery, it is generally permissible to fly, as this typically does not significantly impact the symptoms of retinal detachment. However, what occurs after the surgery must be considered. If, after surgery, only silicone oil is used as a filler, flying is permissible as it does not affect pressure changes. However, if an inert gas is used as a filler after retinal detachment surgery, it can expand due to changes in air pressure at high altitudes. This expansion increases its volume, which can alter the internal pressure of the eye, potentially compressing the eyeball and the retina, leading to ischemia of the central retinal artery. In such cases, where inert or expansible gases are filled within the eye, flying is not advisable until the gas has dissipated.

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Written by Li Min
Ophthalmology
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How to perform surgery for retinal detachment?

Firstly, there are three types of retinal detachment: rhegmatogenous, tractional, and exudative retinal detachment. For rhegmatogenous and tractional retinal detachment, surgical treatment is generally adopted. There are two common surgical methods: one is external surgery, known as scleral buckling, and the other is internal surgery, involving vitrectomy with complex retinal detachment repositioning. The choice of surgical method requires assessment by an ophthalmology specialist before a decision can be made. Exudative retinal detachment is generally treated by addressing the underlying disease and does not require surgery.

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Written by Wang Hui Zhen
Ophthalmology
1min 18sec home-news-image

Is retinal detachment a minor surgery?

Retinal detachment surgery is considered major surgery in ophthalmology, where retinal detachment refers to the separation of the retinal neuroepithelium from the pigment epithelium. There are many surgical methods for retinal detachment, including external scleral buckling, internal vitrectomy, gas injection into the vitreous, and the use of silicone oil, among others. Generally, internal procedures carry a greater risk than external ones. Retinal detachments can be categorized into rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and non-rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment usually requires surgical treatment and is commonly seen in cases of high myopia, artificial intraocular lenses, aphakia, and ocular trauma that cause retinal detachment. Non-rhegmatogenous retinal detachment can be divided into tractional retinal detachment and exudative retinal detachment. Tractional retinal detachment often requires surgical treatment, whereas exudative retinal detachment usually does not require surgery.

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Written by Li Zhuo
Ophthalmology
59sec home-news-image

Treatment methods for retinal detachment

Retinal detachment surgery primarily refers to the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. There are two methods of treatment: one is external surgery, also known as scleral buckling. This involves using a compressive object to indent the sclera to support the choroid, and then employing cryotherapy to create a sterile adhesion between the choroid and the retina, thus treating the retinal detachment. Another method is internal surgery, also known as vitreoretinal surgery. This procedure involves making three incisions in the flat part of the sclera, removing the vitreous from the inside, flattening the retina with heavy water, and using a laser to create a sterile adhesion between the retina and the choroid. Currently, the surgical treatment for retinal detachment consists of these two approaches: internal and external surgeries.