Retinal Break

The retina stays in place thanks to special biological mechanisms, which require the retina to be watertight to function correctly.

If there is a break on the retina, it stops being watertight and there is an increased risk of detachment. This break requires immediate treatment using laser or in rare cases cryotherapy, as if left untreated it may cause retinal detachment. The aim of the treatment is essentially to create a scar around the break, which will seal the retina.

Laser treatment is simple, the patient experiences minimum discomfort and is finished in a few minutes without hospitalization. Initially, eye drops are instilled in the eye that undergoes treatment to dilate the pupil; this makes the vision blurry for about 4-5 hours. The patient experiences treatment as an intense light with green flashes. Treatment duration is approximately 10-15 minutes and depends on the size and the position of the break. After the end of the treatment, the patient’s vision will become very blurry for approximately 30 minutes. This is completely normal and is due to the intense light emitted by the machine.

For the treatment to fully work, the patient must avoid strenuous activities. After 7-10 days, a repeat fundoscopy is performed. In most cases, a single treatment suffices, but in some cases, more sessions are required.