Retina Services at Shaaf Eye Center

  1. Diagnostic modalities including comprehensive eye exam, fundus photos, optical coherence tomography (“OCT”) of the macula, fundus photography, and fluorescein angiography to rule out and monitor various conditions such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vein occlusions, etc.
  2. Anti VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) medication injections for certain retinal conditions including exudative macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vein occlusions.
  3. Laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions and retinal tears.
  4. Referrals to Retina Specialists if needed.

What is retina?

The retina is at the back of your eye and it has light-sensitive cells called rods and cones. When you look at something, light hits the retina; the rods and cones send electrical signals to the brain along the optic nerve. Its job is to receive light from the lens, convert it to neural signals and transmit them to the brain for visual recognition.

Treatment is available for some retinal diseases. Depending on your condition, treatment goals may be to stop or slow the disease and preserve, improve or restore your vision. Untreated, some retinal diseases can cause severe vision loss or blindness.

It’s important to pay attention to any changes in your vision and find care quickly. Seek immediate medical attention if you suddenly have floaters, flashes or reduced vision. These are warning signs of potentially serious retinal disease.

Common retinal diseases and conditions

  • Retinal tear.
  • Retinal detachment. 
  • Diabetic retinopathy. 
  • Epiretinal membrane. 
  • Macular hole.
  • Macular degeneration.
  • Retinitis pigmentosa.

Symptoms

Many retinal diseases share some common signs and symptoms. These may include:

  • Seeing floating specks or cobwebs
  • Blurred or distorted (straight lines look wavy) vision
  • Defects in the side vision
  • Lost vision

Risk factors

Risk factors for retinal diseases might include:

  • Aging
  • Smoking
  • Being obese
  • Having diabetes or other diseases
  • Eye trauma
  • A family history of retinal diseases