Personalized Approach

Retinal detachments are potentially blinding and may require emergency surgery.  Most retinal detachments are preceded by warnings of flashes and floaters followed by loss of vision starting on the side and moving toward the center. Alert your eye specialist if you develop new flashes of light, floaters or loss of vision.

Retinal Tears can develop into a retinal detachment. Most retinal detachments are caused by a tear in the retina. The most common symptoms of a possible retinal tear are new flashes or floaters. If detected before a retinal detachment forms, laser treatment is usually highly successful. Our goal is to identify and treat a retinal tear before it develops into a retinal detachment.

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease caused by diabetes. Though diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, severe vision loss can usually be prevented with regular and timely eye examinations. Patients with diabetes should be examined at least once a year, regardless of symptoms or sugar control. With regular dilated exams, the chance of severe vision loss is less than 1 percent over the patient’s lifetime.

Macular Pucker is a common cause of decreased vision and distortion. This disorder is also known as an epiretinal membrane (ERM) or cellophane maculopathy. This usually occurs in healthy eyes. Vitrectomy to remove the tissue off the surface of the retina can be highly successful in preventing further vision loss and can also lead to improvement.

Macular Holes occur more often in women than men. As with any disease of the macula, patients complain of decreased central vision with/without distortion. Repair of the macular hole requires vitrectomy surgery with possible use of intraocular gas following the operation. Surgery is highly successful in “closing” or repairing the macular hole.

For most people, the cause of eye floaters and flashes is age-related. As you get older, the vitreous gel that fills the inside of the eyeball can liquefy and separate from the retina. Small, momentary flashes of light are commonly experienced during vitreous separation. The vitreous pulls on the retina which makes you think you are seeing a light, but it is actually caused by movement of the retina. Rarely flashes are associated with a tear in the retina.

Floaters are small specks or strands in the vitreous gel that move into your field of vision. The floaters present in different shapes very similar to small dots, circles, clouds, lines and even cobwebs.