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Retinal Tear

The retina is the thin membrane that lines the inner back wall of the eye. Between the natural lens of the eye (which eventually turns into a cataract) and the retina, is empty space filled with a jellylike fluid called the vitreous.  The vitreous is very tightly adherent to the retina. As we get older, the vitreous begins to separate from the back of the eye. Sometimes when the vitreous separates from the retina, pieces of the vitreous can tug on the retina and cause a tear in the retina.  You can imagine it peeling off like a piece of wallpaper from the wall.

Symptoms of a retinal tear are a sudden new onset of floaters, which are actually blood cells that float around in the vitreous. There are not usually physical symptoms or pain involved with developing a retinal tear. Typically there are no visual symptoms with a retinal tear other than seeing new floaters or eye flashes of light.

A tear must be treated quickly by applying a heat sealing laser or cold therapy (cryotherapy) around the tear to wall off any further peeling of the retina.  This is a non-invasive office procedure that is performed to insure the tear does not turn into a retinal detachment. Although a retinal tear itself is not blinding, if you do not treat a tear quickly it can turn into a retinal detachment which requires surgery and can result in permanent visual loss.