The eyes|The most important background factor for retinal detachment is aging, says responsible doctor Petri Aaltonen.
The summary is made by artificial intelligence and checked by a human.
The number of retinal detachment repair surgeries has increased by more than 60 percent in the last ten years.
In 2023, a record 431 surgeries were performed in Husi’s emergency room.
The aging of the population and increased cataract and lens surgeries increase the risk.
Symptoms of retinal detachment include a dark shadow, lightning and soot in the field of vision.
When symptoms appear, treatment must be sought within 1–2 days.
The eye the number of retinal detachments is increasing wildly.
Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital district Hus says that the number of urgent retinal detachment repair surgeries performed on weekends at Silmä ear hospital has increased by more than 60 percent in the last ten years.
In the Husi Eye and Ear Hospital, urgent retinal detachment repair surgeries are performed on weekends and public holidays throughout the country.
When the retina detaches, you need to get treatment quickly, because then your vision is at risk.
Huss Doctor in charge of the retinal surgery unit Petri Aaltonen says that the year 2023 was a record year for surgeries: 431 surgeries were performed in Husi’s emergency department, the majority of which were retinal detachments.
For comparison, 256 similar surgeries were performed in 2011. The emergency department was established in 2010.
According to Aaltonen, the main reason for the increase in the number of surgeries is the aging of the population. The lens of the eye often detaches with age.
“In connection with the detachment, part of the retina develops a tear and further retinal detachment,” says Aaltonen.
The aging of the population has also overall increased cataract surgeries, which in turn increase the risk of retinal detachment.
Secondly so-called lens or presbyopia surgeries are performed more and more in Finland, especially for people aged 40–50. These operations also increase the risk of retinal detachment.
With surgeries, refractive errors or age-related loss of adaptability are corrected by installing a plastic lens inside the eye, i.e. an artificial lens.
According to Aaltonen, lens surgery is technically the same as cataract surgery, but it is performed even if the cataract has not yet developed.
Cataract or lens surgery increases the risk of retinal detachment by causing vitreous detachment.
Inside the eye is vitreous jelly, which is attached to the retina. In younger people, the vitreous gel is denser and more tightly attached to the retina.
According to Aaltonen, vitreous detachment can cause tears and fluid flows in the retina of younger people, which in turn can cause retinal detachment.
According to Aaltonen, tears and retinal detachments are apparently more likely to occur in people under the age of 60 after cataract or lens surgery.
In older people, the vitreous often detaches on its own: “Tears still occur then, but the risk is lower.”
Surgery According to Aaltonen, many factors contribute to the increased risk of retinal detachment. These include, for example, the patient’s age and whether the vitreous has already detached before. Myopia and degeneration of the retinal edge also increase the risk of retinal detachment.
He therefore recommends that before deciding to operate, a thorough preliminary examination should be done and a discussion with the surgeon about the risks should be held.
If symptoms of retinal detachment are felt in the eye, you need to seek treatment quickly, already within 1–2 days.
According to Aaltonen, losing the area of clear vision even for a short time can permanently impair vision.
The main symptom is a dark shadow forming at the edge of the field of vision, which progresses over hours or days. Before that or at the same time, “lightning” or “soot rain” can also be seen in the field of vision.
Hus Retinal Surgery Unit can only be accessed with a doctor’s referral.
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