The retina is the fine film that coats the inside of the eyeball.
It consists of special cells that convert light into electrical impulses. These electrical signals are sent to the brain where they are processed enabling us to 'see'. The central part of the retina is called the macula.This area is responsible for fine vision and colour perception.
Some common diseases that affect the retina:
1. Dry age related macular degeneration: This refers to ageing changes in the macula. The symptoms include blurred central vision that can cause problems such as recognising peoples' faces or reading print. The symptoms usually develop slowly. The peripheral vision is unaffected.
2. Wet age related macular degeneration: This refers to the development of new blood vessels under the retina along with the features of dry age related macular degeneration.The new blood vessels leak fluid into the macula and can cause distortion of the central vision.The symptoms tend to develop rapidly and the condition needs to be treated promptly.
The most effective treatment is anti-VEGF medicine that is injected into the gel at the back of the eye known as the vitreous.This shrinks the abnormal blood vessels and clears the fluid from the macula. Several injections are often needed to completely treat the condition.
3. Diabetic retinopathy: Increased glucose circulating in blood in diabetes has a damaging effect on the retinal blood vessels. This disrupts the fine balance of nutrition of the retina and leads to leakage of fluid and cholesterol from blood into the retina. In advanced cases of diabetic retinopathy, there occurs formation of new blood vessels within and over the surface of retina which further leak more fluid. These abnormal blood vessels are prone to bursting, leading to vitreous hemorrhage. Vision can become blurred gradually if this leakage occurs in the macula. New fragile blood vessels can also grow on the surface of the retina which can lead to bleeding within the vitreous cavity and lead to sudden loss of vision.The main treatments for this condition include laser photocoagulation and injections of anti-VEGF medicines into the vitreous.
4. Retinal Vein Occlusion: In retinal vein occlusion, there occurs blockage of blood flow in the retinal vein. This leads to impaired outflow of blood. The symptoms of RVO are sudden blurring of vision.
The degree of visual blur depends on the severity of the blockage and the location. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are the main risk factors associated with developing this condition.Treatment options include laser photocoagulation, implanting a steroid pellet into the vitreous and anti-VEGF injections into the vitreous.Optical coherence tomography(OCT)technology allows us to see cross sectional images of the retina. Here there is a small mound within the macula that is formed by a collection of fluid.
5. Central Serous Retinopathy: In CSCR, there occurs accumulation of fluid just beneath the Macula. The patient complains of inability to read the fine print and/or seeing a black spot in the centre. It is most commonly seen in young males. An association has been seen with the use of steroid medication, smoking and mental stress. The condition often resolves on its own but occasionally laser treatment is applied to 'switch off' the leakage areas.
6. Myopia and its retinal manifestations: Myopia or short-sightedness is a very common condition. Myopic eyes are longer than normal eyes and therefore their retina is stretched over the eye wall. Regular retina check up for myopic patient is mandatory.
Bharti Eye Foundation and Hospital is the best eye hospital in India for retina treatment. Retina department at Bharti eye is equipped with the latest equipment of international standards.
All diagnostic tests for retina evaluation are available:
Bharti eye is equipped with the advanced multispot retinal laser.
Our team of retina specialists is well trained in handling the most challenging retinal pathologies and complicated retinal surgeries. All retinal surgical procedures and intravitreal injections, intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin), ranibizumab (Lucentis, Accentrix) and aflibercept (Eylea) are performed here.
The common retinal pathologies that are treated at bharti eye are mentioned below:
Diabetic Retinopathy – Occurs in eyes of patients with poor control of diabetes.
Retinopathy Of Prematurity - Occurs in premature infants.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration – Occurs in old aged people where macula starts degenerating
Retinal Detachment - Emergency situation where the retina is lifted up from its normal position
Patients with retinal pathologies visit us for world class treatment from all over India as well as from abroad.
Eye floaters, tiny spots seen drifting in the field of vision, occur when vitreous gel particles break off and float around in the central, more liquid center of the vitreous. An eye flash is a flicker of light that comes and goes in the vision. Floaters and flashes are typically benign and don’t require treatment, though at times (particularly when occurring suddenly) they may be a sign of a retinal tear or detachment.
This eye disease occurs at birth in premature babies, and is characterized by the growth of abnormal blood vessels on the retina. This growth can lead to retinal detachment and blindness. ROP has no signs or symptoms, and can only be properly detected and diagnosed through an eye exam by an ophthalmologist. In more severe cases, this disease requires treatment in order to prevent permanent vision loss.
A vitrectomy is a surgery used to treat several disorders of the retina, including diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, macular puckers and macular holes. During this procedure, the vitreous gel is removed from the center of the eye and replaced with an injection of air, gas or liquid.
Laser treatment uses a focused beam of laser light to treat various kinds of retinal disorders, including retinal tears, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. The treatment can include using lasers to seal leaky blood vessels and repairing tears and holes in the retina.
An intravitreal injection, which involves injection of medicine into the eye, is often used to place medicine directly into the center of the eye, in the vitreous fluid, for treatment. This treatment can be used to effectively treat a variety of retina conditions, including macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Often, a series of injections is used as a means to prevent vision loss associated with certain eye diseases. Commonly used injections are: Lucentis, Eylea, Avastin, Razumb, Ozurdex
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