Retinal tear
What is a retinal tear?
What causes a retinal tear?
The commonest cause of a retinal tear is a posterior vitreous detachment where the vitreous gel pulls away from the retina. This occurs due to age with the vitreous gel shrinking and becoming more liquid and collapsing, leading to the vitreous pulling away from the back of the eye.
What are the symptoms of a retinal tear?
- sudden increase in black floaters or spots
- shadow in the peripheral vision which
- flashing lights
If you notice any of these symptoms, it is an emergency and it is generally advisable to seek urgent attention to prevent a retinal detachment.
What are the treatment options?
Treatment for a retinal tear can involve either laser retinopexy or cryotherapy treatment.Â
Laser retinopexy seals the retinal tear with 1-2 rows of laser surrounding the torn retina which prevents the tear form enlarging or causing a retinal detachment or the ‘camera film’ of the eye from detaching.
Cryotherapy treatment also enables the retina to be sealed but utilises a lower temperature to freeze the retina to prevent the retinal tear from extending, thereby preventing a retinal detachment. It is used mainly for retinal tears which are more anterior and not easily accessible for laser retinopexy.
How is the treatment done?
You will be given drops to dilate the pupil and which take 20-30 minutes to work. Treatment for a retinal tear is performed by sitting at in front of a laser machine and the doctor performing the procedure with explain the procedure and answer all questions that you may have related to the procedure. A small contact lens is placed on the eye and it takes 15-20 minutes to complete the treatment.
What are the risks?
The commonest risk is transient visual blurring which may last for a few days. The eyedrops used to dilate the pupils to enable laser treatment, also cause blurred vision.
What can I expect following treatment?
Your vision may be blurred for a few hours following the procedure but will revert to normal afterwards. You may return to normal activity immediately after the procedure although the dilating drops take 4-6 hours to wear off.
How long does the treatment last?
The laser retinopexy and cryotherapy treatments are permanent and should last for the area that was treated unless a new tear occurs.
Our Treatments and Price List
| New patient consultation | £320 |
| Follow up appointment | £280 |
LASER RETINOPEXYÂ
| One eye | £550 |
| Both eyes | £750 |
CRYORETINOPEXY (CRYO)
| One eye | £550 |
| Both eyes | £750 |
If you would like to discuss Ophthalmology treatments, please get in touch with a member of our team
