The One Seoul Eye Clinic is located in Sinsa Square near Sinsa Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Our ophthalmology specialists provide care for retinal disease, glaucoma, cataract and presbyopia, vision correction (LASIK, LASEK, implantable lenses), pediatric myopia, and dry eye. We are about 307m from Exit 6 of Sinsa Station on the Sinbundang Line.
Retinal detachment is a condition where the retina separates from the underlying tissue due to fluid accumulation in the space between the detached retina and the eye wall, causing the pigment epithelium to separate from the sensory nerve layer. If retinal detachment progresses to the center of the retina, proper nutrition may not be supplied to the retina, potentially leading to blindness, making it one of the ophthalmic emergency conditions.
Classification and Symptoms
Retinal detachment can be classified into rhegmatogenous, tractional, and exudative retinal detachment.
| Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment | This is retinal detachment caused by retinal tears due to posterior vitreous detachment. When the vitreous liquefies due to aging, empty spaces form inside the eye, causing the vitreous to pull on the retina and create holes, leading to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. |
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| Tractional Retinal Detachment | This is retinal detachment caused by proliferative membranes pulling on the retina due to underlying diseases such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy. This is considered one of Korea's three major blinding eye diseases along with glaucoma and macular degeneration, requiring prompt treatment. |
| Exudative Retinal Detachment | This is retinal detachment caused by fluid accumulation under the retina due to other diseases such as central serous chorioretinopathy. In exudative retinal detachment, detachment usually progresses slowly from the periphery, and since noticeable symptoms do not occur, it is often discovered incidentally during ophthalmic examinations. |
Floaters
Symptoms where one feels like insects or threads are floating in front of the eyes
Photopsia
Symptoms where one feels flashes in the visual field when closing and opening the eyes
Visual Field Defects
Symptoms where the visual field appears partially covered as if curtains were drawn in front of the eyes
Treatment Methods
Retinal detachment is treated by choosing vitrectomy and scleral buckling according to the patient's condition. If retinal detachment is left untreated for a long time, severely decreased vision is difficult to recover, and even if surgery is performed, there is a high probability of complications. Additionally, even with appropriate treatment, 10-20% of patients may experience reattachment failure during the first surgery, and about 5% during reoperation, so early detection and prompt treatment are most important.
Before Treatment
After Treatment
The most important factors in retinal detachment surgery are the surgeon's experience and skills. During my tenure at Seoul National University Hospital, I performed over 700-800 retinal surgeries annually, and with rich experience in solving many cases referred from other hospitals that had failed surgery, the best results can be expected.
Prevention
If there is a family history of retinal detachment, if there was retinal detachment in the other eye, or in cases of high myopia, posterior vitreous detachment, aphakia, or ocular trauma, retinal detachment can easily occur, so regular check-ups are necessary. In cases of retinal tears that have not yet progressed to retinal detachment, laser treatment can be performed to prevent progression to retinal detachment.
