Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about retinal detachment.

And if you want to follow along with written notes on this topic,

you can follow along at zero tofinals.com slash retinal detachment or in the ophthalmology section of the zero definals medicine book.

So let's get straight into it.

Retinal detachment is where the retina of the eye separates from the corroid layer beneath it.

This is usually due to a retinal tear that allows vitreous fluid to get under the retina and fill the space between

the retina and the corroid. The outer retina relies on the blood vessels of the corroid for its blood

supply and this makes retinal detachment a sight-threatening emergency because the retinal blood

supply is disrupted.

And this means it needs to be quickly recognized and treated.

So what are the risk factors for retinal detachment?

There's several risk factors.

Posteria vitreous detachment is a key risk factor to remember.

It can also be associated with diabetic retinopathy,

trauma to the eye, retinal malignancy, older age, and family history. So how does it present?

Retinal detachment is a painless condition that can present with peripheral vision loss,

and this is often sudden and described as a shadow coming across the vision,

blurred or distorted vision, and the development of flashes and floaters in the vision.

So what's the management? Well, patients presenting with painless flashes or floaters should have a detailed assessment of the retina

by someone with the appropriate skills to detect retinal tears and retinal detachment.

Any suspicion of retinal detachment requires immediate referral to ophthalmology for assessment and management.

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