eye diseases/retianaeyediseases

Retina Decollement: Decollement means “detachment”. Retina decollement defines detachment of retina from eye ball where it is stuck. This is a serious problem threatening vision. It can be seen in every age. The risk is higher in myopia higher than number 6. The risk of people had cataract surgery previously has also higher risk. Symptoms are reduction or complete disappearance of vision after photopsy (light flash) feeling. It may cause loss of vision unless treated immediately. It may be treated using argon laser in early stage. Penumopexy, scleral surrounding or vitrectomy are the treatment methods applied in later stages. Penumopexy is a retina tampon method injecting a special gas into eye ball and expansion of the gas inside eyeball. Scleral surrounding is another tampon of decollement using an arciform material to press eyeball from outside. Vitrectomy is a complicated surgical method applied inside eyeball.  

 

Diabetic retinopathy: These are retina problems developing depending on diabetes. Bleedings in retina and blockage in capillary vessels may occur in diabetic patients. Blindness may develop in these patients if they are not treated. Argon laser and intraocular drug injections are used in the treatment. Argon laser may be required to apply many times. When the drug called triamcinolone is injected into eye, retina problems may be restored temporarily.  Retina vessels may reproduce as “plait type” in advanced diabetes patients causing severe bleeding and leads to neovascular galucoma which is too difficult to treat. In order to prevent this, argon laser treatment is intensified to cover all retina layer and/or anti-VEGF called drugs are injected inside the eye. Intraocular injection is a risk free, easy to apply implementation which does not lead any pain to the patient. Diabetic patient must have retina examined at least once in every 6 months. Retina imaging must be applied using OCT in each examination and FFA analysis must be carried out when a problem is found in retina. FFA is a retina vessel x-ray film taken from a distance after injecting a drug called florescein intravenous without touching any device. (Macula is the most sensitive and important point of retina. It provides 90% of our vision and is called as “yellow point” colloquially.) It must not be forgotten cataract and glaucoma are seen more frequently in diabetic patients.

 

Macular degeneration (Yellow point disorder): This is the distortion of macula on retina or reduction in vision due to aging. The patient perceives straight lines as broken. He cannot see the point he look at but see the surrounding area. Close up vision and reading is most effected. This is most frequent seen in those people smoking.  It develops mostly after 70 but risk occurs after 55. There are two types: Dry type, Wet type. Capillary vessels are safe and no bleeding occurs in dry type. Capillary vessels are fragile and bleeding is seen in wet type. Vision reduces in dry type but there is no blindness risk. Blindness risk exists in wet type. Treatment of dry type is carried out by supporting drugs taken oral. Argon laser, photodynamic treatment and intraocular injection are applied in the treatment of wet type. In photodynamic treatment, capillary vessels of retina bleeding are dyed with an injection to the arm of patient and unhealthy area is suppressed by a laser implemented to dyed area. Treatment of wet type is mostly successful but the treatment must be repeated periodically lifelong. Anti-VEGF called drugs are used in intraocular injections. Injection is easy and indolent for the patient. Intraocular injections are applied 3 times with intervals of one month. Special glasses called LVA could be substantially helpful to the patient whose vision is reduced. Most of the patients can read newspapers comfortably with these glasses. It is required macular degeneration patients to be examined once in every 4 months and OCT in every examination and FFA analysis must be carried out once in a year.