Surgical and Medical Retina

There are two forms of macular degeneration: dry and wet. In the dry form, small deposits of material, called drusen, develop in the macula, causing mild to moderate decrease in vision. In the wet form, abnormal blood vessels under the macula leak fluid. This can result in severe vision loss. Dry AMD is by far the most common type, accounting for 90 percent of all cases. However, Wet AMD leads to faster vision loss and is the most advanced form of the disease. While wet AMD occurs in only 10 percent of cases, it accounts for 90 percent of legal blindness.

Macular degeneration is typically diagnosed with a dilated eye examination from your eye doctor. Specialized imaging equipment including color photography, fundus autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and angiography may be used in specific clinical scenarios.

People with diabetes can have an eye disease called diabetic retinopathy. This is when high blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels in the retina. These blood vessels can swell and leak. Or they can close, stopping blood from passing through. Sometimes abnormal new blood vessels grow on the retina. All of these changes can worsen your vision.

You can prevent vision loss caused by diabetic retinopathy. Keep your blood sugar levels and blood pressure near normal. This reduces your chance of damaging small blood vessels and decreases your risk of damaging the retina. It can also help slow the progression of retinopathy, if you already have it, and prevent future vision loss. Vision loss and blindness can be prevented with early detection, treatment, and careful long-term follow-up by St. Paul Eye Clinic.

Floaters look like small specks, dots, circles, lines or cobwebs in your field of vision. While they appear to be in front of your eye, they are floating inside. Floaters are tiny clumps of gel or cells inside the vitreous that fills your eye.

Most floaters and flashes are not a problem. However, there are times when they can be signs of a serious condition. Here is when you should call an eye doctor right away:

• Many new floaters
• Many flashes
• A shadow appears in your peripheral (side) vision

Floaters generally become less bothersome with time and are simply monitored. However, there are situations where chronic floaters are debilitating to patients. These severe floaters can be removed with surgery at St. Paul Eye Clinic.

A retinal tear is when the retina has a tear or hole, like a rip in cloth. A torn retina often leads to a more serious condition called a detached retina. This is where the retina is lifted away from the back of the eye and is a blinding condition if not treated appropriately. Treatment may involve an in-office laser procedure or surgery.