Retinal Disorders

Retinal disorders include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinal detachment, and diabetic retinopathy.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

AMD is the physical disorder of macula which is in the center of the retina and responsible for reading, driving, and performing other activities requiring fine, sharp, or straight-ahead vision. There are two different types: dry (%90) and wet macular degeneration. Dry AMD is associated with tiny yellow deposition beneath the retina and less severe vision loss which slowly develops. Wet AMD is associated with delicate, abnormal blood vessels under the retina and then it causes a scar. This is responsible for central vision loss. Wet AMD progresses more rapidly than dry AMD.

Although the causes of AMD are unknown, genetic (age, family history, light-colored skin and eyes) and other risk factors (smoking, diets with low antioxidants, obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, excessive exposure to sunlight) which can be controlled by the patients, may lead to AMD.

Blurred vision, a dark or empty area in the central area of vision and distortion of straight lines are the main symptoms of AMD. Monitoring and early detection are important for AMD.

Wet AMD is treated with medication injection and/or laser surgery to prevent the leaking of the blood vessels. A small dark spot may be left after laser surgery. There are currently no treatments for dry AMD. Many patients with dry AMD continue their normal life due to unaffected peripheral vision. Low-vision optical devices, such as magnifiers can be used as aids to correction of vision in dry AMD.

Retinal detachment

Retinal detachment results from the separation of the light sensitive membrane which overlays the nerve tissue and blood supply. It must be treated promptly. Otherwise it can cause vision loss and blindness in severe cases. The retina is attached to the vitreous. As human age gets older, the retina may detach because of the shrinking of the vitreous. Retinal detachment can also result from blunt trauma and certain eye disorders such as advanced diabetic retinopathy and severe nearsightedness. Certain symptoms of retinal detachment are; increase in the number and size of eye floaters, floaters with flashes, shadow in peripheral vision, and sudden decrease in vision, appearance of grey curtain over part of vision.

Surgery is performed successfully in repairing the retinal detachment. There are several surgical techniques such as laser surgery, cryopexy, pneumatic retinoplexy, and scleral buckle.

Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disorder that weakens or changes the blood vessels in the retina, resulting in loss of vision. This is the leading cause of blindness in eye disorders. Early detection is important to prevent the loss of vision in diabetic patients.  Surgeries such as photocoagulation and vitrectomy are very successful in the correction of diabetic retinal alterations by means of the early detection programs. Laser surgery (photocoagulation) seals leaking or bleeding vessels, and vitrectomy corrects abnormal vessel proliferations, scar tissue, and bleeding.

What is Retina?

The light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye is called the retina. The light coming into the eye is first refracted in the cornea layer at the very front and enters the eye. The light entering the eye then passes through the pupil and refracts a second time in the lens and enters the back segment of the eye. The light passing through the area called the vitreous cavity in the back segment falls on the retina. After the light energy is converted into electrochemical energy in the retina, the energy is sent to the vision center in the brain via the optic nerve.

The retina is one of the most important parts of the eye and helps to see better. The retina, which has an extremely sensitive and complex structure, consists of many nerve cells and layers. Damage to the retina directly affects the person’s vision. Since retinal problems can even lead to vision loss, early diagnosis is of critical importance.

It is possible to perceive light, colors and other fine details thanks to the millions of cells found in the retina, which is a thin layer of tissue covering the very back of the inner part of the eyeball. The retina is an extremely important part of vision, sending the light entering the eye to the brain via the optic nerve, transforming it into images and enabling vision to occur. On the other hand, many diseases, especially diabetes and cancer, can have negative effects on the retina. When any part of the retina is damaged, there is a risk of jeopardizing vision.

What are Retinal Diseases?

Despite being positioned at the back of the eye and naturally protected, the retina is at risk of being affected and damaged by various factors, especially trauma. The cases where the retina is affected and damaged are called retinal diseases. There are many different types of retinal diseases. In addition to genetic factors, retinal diseases can develop as a complication of various diseases or due to environmental factors. Genetic diseases such as Stargardt disease, degeneration due to aging and injuries directly seen in the retinal tissue such as retinal tears or complications of diabetes can be listed among the causes of retinal diseases.

The most common retinal disease is retinal tear. It is an eye health problem characterized by the separation of the retina from where it is attached to the eye. The gel-like substance inside the eye, called vitreous, can start to shrink as it becomes more liquid and separate from the back of the eye where the retina is located. In this case, the resulting retinal tear can usually cause sudden symptoms such as floaters and flashing lights in the eye.

Retinal detachment is a condition characterized by the presence of fluid under the retina. When tears occur in the retina, which is normally attached to the eye, the vitreous, which becomes liquid, begins to fill the tears. As the fluid passes through the tears and fills here, the retina moves further away from the other layers. If retinal detachment, which is a serious health problem, is not treated, there is a risk of permanent vision loss.

Diabetes can cause damage to the capillaries at the back of the eye due to high blood sugar. In such cases, fluid can leak into and under the retina. As a result, the retina can swell, vision can blur or deteriorate. At the same time, the patient may start to feel pain in their eyes. Redness in the eye or sudden vision loss may occur.

In cases where the center of the macula in the retina is punctured, a macular hole may occur. A stain may form in the patient’s vision due to the puncture. This stain can also cause serious deterioration in the patient’s vision. Although a macular hole usually occurs due to aging and eye trauma, there is also a risk that it may develop spontaneously.

Another retinal disease that occurs with advancing age, such as a macular hole, is macular degeneration. Macular degeneration, also called macular degeneration, is characterized by the deterioration of the macula, the center of the retina. It can cause the patient’s vision to deteriorate, blurred vision, or blind spots to form in the eye.

Retinitis pigmentosa, also known as night blindness, is a genetic degenerative disease. Although it is a slowly progressing disease, the quality of night vision may decrease even more due to aging.

What Causes a Retinal Tear?

The most common cause of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, or retinal tear, is trauma. A direct tear may occur in the retina due to many factors such as intraocular hemorrhage, blockage of blood vessels feeding the retina, and old age. There is a risk that notched retinal detachment and serous retinal detachment may develop due to much more specific causes.

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy, namely retinal damage caused by diabetes, is one of the most common causes of notched retinal detachment. At the same time, eye injuries caused by cutting tools and retinal diseases seen in premature babies can also be listed among the causes of notched retinal detachment.

Serous retinal detachment may occur as a result of an inflammatory, vascular or tumoral disease that develops around the retina. Similar diseases seen in the region may first cause damage to the retinal pigment epithelium, then disrupt blood circulation here and cause fluid accumulation in the lower part of the retina. The accumulated fluid may separate the two retinal layers over time, leading to the development of serous retinal detachment.

Retinal Tear Laser Treatment Prices

Laser retinal tear treatment is an extremely practical and comfortable procedure. If a tear is detected before the detachment develops, laser treatment can be applied to the area around the tear to prevent the development of detachment. Early diagnosis is critical to achieving this.

Retinal tear laser treatment prices may vary depending on the complexity of the treatment, the experience of the specialist who will perform the treatment, the pricing policy of the clinic where the treatment will be performed, and similar factors.