Retina
WHAT IS THE RETINA?
The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eyeball. Images that come through the eye's lens are focused on the retina and enables us to see. The retina then converts these images to electric signals and sends them along the optic nerve to the brain.
The retina is a nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye and enables us to see. As we age, the jelly-like substance inside the eye called vitreous can shrink and pull on the retina sometimes leading to a retinal tear. Traction on the vitreous can cause a patient to see flashes and a new retinal tear can result in a release of many tiny floaters.
Types of retina diseases
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
This condition occurs when deposits called drusen accumulate in the macula. The macula is the part of the eye that is used to see objects clearly and to see colour. The accumulation of deposits can lead to dry or wet macular degeneration and can cause severe vision loss and sometimes can be blinding.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in working aged individuals in North America. It is important that all diabetics have their eyes examined annually by an eye doctor to detect early signs of diabetic eye disease. This includes a dilated eye exam.
Myopia
Also known as nearsightedness or shortsightedness, myopia is a condition of the eyes in which nearby objects are clear and distant objects appear blurry.
Vein Occlusion
A Retinal Vein Occlusion is a blockage of small veins that carry blood away from the retina and back to your heart. It usually is a painless decrease in vision.
Posterior Vitreous Detachment
The retina is a nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye and enables us to see. As we age, the jelly-like substance inside the eye called vitreous can shrink and pull on the retina sometimes leading to a retinal tear. Traction on the vitreous can cause a patient to see flashes and a new retinal tear can result in a release of many tiny floaters.
Treatment and diagnostics
Intravitreal Injection
An injection is typically given for Wet Age Related Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Cystoid Macular Edema, Myopic Degeneration and Vein Occlusions.
Patients with these conditions can experience sudden blurry vision from leakage of the abnormal blood vessels and without anti-VEGF treatment are at risk of blindness or permanent loss of the central vision.
An intravitreal injection is a procedure to place a medication directly into the space in the back of the eye called the vitreous cavity, which is filled with jelly-like fluid called the vitreous humor gel.
Intravitreal injections often need to be repeated in a series until the disease is stabilized.
LASERS
Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) laser
PRP is a type of laser treatment used in patients who develop new, abnormal blood vessels in the retina or drainage system of the eye. This treatment is commonly administered to patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, ischemic retinal vein occlusions, or neovascular glaucoma, to preserve the vision and reduce risk of blindness.
Laser retinopexy
Laser retinopexy is a type of laser used to treat retinal tears. Untreated retinal tears can lead to retinal detachment, a potentially blinding condition.
Angioplex OCT
This is a detailed image of the structures within the retina, which will provide more information of your disease.