Retina
Retinal detachment is the one you should not wait on
The retina is the thin film at the back of the eye that catches pictures. If it peels away from the wall, it stops working. Put back quickly, sight often returns. Left for weeks, it may not.
40 sec“Curtain, flashes, black shower? Go today.”
Retina surgeon
What the doctor says
“Curtain, flashes, black shower? Go today.”
Retina surgeon · Do not wait for a second opinion here
- A detached retina is the one eye problem where hours matter.
- Flashes, floaters or a shadow means an eye hospital the same day.
- Send us the scans after, so you know the plan was right.
The filmed clip is being recorded. The words above are the same points the doctor makes on camera.
Get the plan checked after treatmentAlready had surgery advised and want the plan checked fast?
Send your scans. A senior eye doctor who will never operate on you reads them and writes a plain answer in two days.
Go to an eye hospital today if
- Sudden flashes of light, like a camera going off in the corner of your eye
- A sudden shower of new black dots or a cobweb floating across your sight
- A dark curtain or shadow creeping in from one side
- A part of your vision has gone missing
Why speed changes everything
Doctors ask one question: is the centre of the retina, the macula, still attached? If it is, surgery in a day or two usually saves sharp vision. Once the centre lifts off, the fine detail rarely comes all the way back, even after a perfect operation.
So this is the rare eye problem where we say plainly: go now. Get the tear treated. A second opinion is for what comes after, not instead of treatment.
What a second opinion is good for here
- A small tear or hole found on a routine check, with no curtain and no vision loss.
- Long-standing floaters you have had for years and are now told to operate on.
- After surgery, when you are advised a second or third procedure.
- When silicone oil removal, extra laser or a costly add-on is suggested.
Who is more at risk
- Strong minus (short-sighted) glasses
- A blow to the eye
- Recent eye surgery
- A detachment in the other eye or in a close relative
Not sure if you need surgery?
Send us your scans. A senior eye doctor who will never operate on you reads them and tells you the truth in two days.