10 Popular Facts About Retinal Detachment That Are Actually False

• Retinal detachment develops only after accidents (False).

Retinal detachment may develop in any healthy person.

• Retinal detachment is painful (False).

Retinal detachment is usually painless.

• Retinal detachment will not develop in the other eye (False).

The likelihood of retinal detachment to affect the other eye is at least 10%.

• The progression of retinal detachment is slow (False).

Retinal detachment is a rapidly progressive emergency condition.

• Retinal detachment is not recurrent (False).

Retinal detachment involves a high likelihood of recurrence. Several surgeries may be needed for recurrent tears or detachments.

• After retinal detachment surgery, my vision will rapidly improve (False).

Your vision will not always improve after surgery. Vision improvement is an extremely slow process.

• Every patient undergoes the same type of retinal detachment surgery (False).

Retinal detachment surgeries are vastly varied. Different techniques may be performed on every patient.

• Only a few postoperative follow-up examinations will be sufficient after retinal surgery (False).

An ophthalmologist will follow up the eye on which he/she performed a retinal detachment operation for years, and usually repeat surgery will be required.

• The silicone oil inserted in the eye will not be removed (False) .

Most of the silicone oil inserted in the eye will be removed. Your ophthalmologist will decide on the timing of the removal which will require another surgery.

• The patient may return back to his/her hometown immediately after the surgery (False).

You should wait for your ophthalmologist’s approval before taking an airplane or a bus.

Figure 1: Retinal tear and retinal detachment in the eye.