eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Ophthalmology

Retinal Detachment: Follow-up

Author: Gregory L Larkin, MD, MS, MSPH, FACEP, Professor of Surgery, Associate Director of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, Section of Emergency Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Nov 23, 2009

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

  • Immediate ophthalmologic referral is mandatory for patients with retinal detachment.

Transfer

  • In some cases, transfer to a facility with an available ophthalmologist or retinal specialist is in the patient's best interest after initial ophthalmologic evaluation. Make these decisions in accordance with the patient's wishes and the direction of the ophthalmologic consultant.

Complications

  • Loss of acuity and blindness is the most common complication of a retinal detachment.
  • Loss of vision to hand motion or light perception is a frequent complication of retinal detachments (RDs) that involve the macula.

Prognosis

  • Ultimate outcome depends upon the time the retina is detached, the underlying mechanism of the RD, and whether the macula is involved.
  • Prognosis is related inversely to the degree of macular involvement and the length of time the retina has been off.
 


More on Retinal Detachment

Overview: Retinal Detachment
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Retinal Detachment
Treatment & Medication: Retinal Detachment
Follow-up: Retinal Detachment
Multimedia: Retinal Detachment
References
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References

  1. Haimann MH, Burton TC, Brown CK. Epidemiology of retinal detachment. Arch Ophthalmol. Feb 1982;100(2):289-92. [Medline].

  2. Subramanian ML, Topping TM. Controversies in the management of primary retinal detachments. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 2004;44(4):103-14. [Medline].

  3. Shinar Z, Chan L, Orlinsky M. Use of Ocular Ultrasound for the Evaluation of Retinal Detachment. J Emerg Med. Jul 20 2009;[Medline].

  4. Blaivas M, Theodoro D, Sierzenski PR. A study of bedside ocular ultrasonography in the emergency department. Acad Emerg Med. Aug 2002;9(8):791-9. [Medline].

  5. Roberts JR, Hedges JR. Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine. 3rd ed. WB Saunders; 1998.

  6. Rosen P, Baker FJ, Barkin RM. Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. Vol 1. Mosby-Year Book; 1988:1033-49.

  7. Rosen P, Barkin RM, Sternbach GL. Essentials of Emergency Medicine. Mosby-Year Book; 1991:553-66.

  8. Tintinalli JE, Krome RL, Ruiz E. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. McGraw-Hill; 1992:833-40.

  9. Wilkes SR, Beard CM, Kurland LT, et al. The incidence of retinal detachment in Rochester, Minnesota, 1970-1978. Am J Ophthalmol. Nov 1982;94(5):670-3. [Medline].

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Further Reading

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Keywords

retinal detachment, retinal detachment symptoms, retinal detachment diagnosis, retinal detachment treatment, RD, critical eye emergency, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, exudative retinal detachment, serous retinal detachment, tractional retinal detachment, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, ocular trauma, traumatic detachments, posterior vitreous detachment, vitreous hemorrhage

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Gregory L Larkin, MD, MS, MSPH, FACEP, Professor of Surgery, Associate Director of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery, Section of Emergency Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine
Gregory L Larkin, MD, MS, MSPH, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Joseph A Salomone III, MD, EMS Medical Director, Kansas City, Missouri; Associate Professor and Staff Physician, Truman Medical Centers/UMKC School of Medicine
Joseph A Salomone III, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, National Association of EMS Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

Douglas Lavenburg, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Christiana Care Health Systems
Douglas Lavenburg, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

John D Halamka, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Robert E O'Connor, MD, MPH, Professor and Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia Health System
Robert E O'Connor, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Physician Executives, American Heart Association, American Medical Association, Medical Society of Delaware, National Association of EMS Physicians, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Wilderness Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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