Retinal Diseases

Note: Retinal services are provided in the hospital at 1221 Whipple St. 

Retinal diseases can be associated with aging, diabetes or other diseases; trauma to the eye; or family history. Symptoms can include seeing floating specks or cobwebs, blurred vision, distorted vision, defects in the field of vision and lost vision. To make a diagnosis, your ophthalmologist conducts a thorough eye exam and looks for abnormalities anywhere in the eye.

RETINAL DISEASES TREATMENT

The main goal of treatment is to stop disease progression and preserve or improve vision. In many cases, damage that has already occurred can't be reversed, making early detection important. Your ophthalmologist will work with you to determine the best treatment. Options include:

• Focal laser treatment — Also know as photocoagulation, this laser surgery can repair a retinal tear or hole. Your surgeon uses a laser to heat small pinpoints on the retina. creating scarring that binds or welds the retina to the underlying tissue. Immediate treatment of a new retinal tear with a laser can decrease the risk of the tear leading to a retinal detachment. 
• Scatter laser treatment — Also know as panretinal photocoagulation, this laser surgery shrinks abnormal blood vessels that are bleeding or threatening to bleed into the vitreous, which is the gel-like material that fills the inside of your eye. This treatment may help people with conditions such as diabetic retinopathy. With extensive treatment of this kind, you may experience loss of some side/peripheral or night vision.
• Drug injection — Injecting medication into the vitreous may be effective in treating wet macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy or broken blood vessels within the eye. For example, to treat wet macular degeneration, periodic injections of medications directly into the eye may help stop disease progression. In some cases, this treatment may help to partially recover vision.