Retina
Comprehensive expertise on all retinal specialties.
A critical part of your healthy vision
The retina is a layer of light-sensitive tissue at the back of your eye that captures visual information, like film in a camera, and sends it to your brain. The vitreous is a clear, gel-like substance that fills the back portion of your eye. Normally, light passes through the vitreous and reaches your retina. However, when blood and debris occur in your vitreous, the light is blocked. In addition, your retina can suffer from a variety of harmful conditions that threaten your vision, including:
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a degeneration of the macula, the portion of your retina that controls your central vision.
- Diabetic eye disease, caused by long-term diabetes.
- Retinal detachment, which can occur without an underlying cause, or by trauma, diabetes, an inflammatory disorder or a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD).
- Flashes and floaters, small shapes appearing to move in your vision.
- Eye cancer.
- Uveitis.
- Vitreous hemorrhage.
- Pediatric retina problems.
- Infection inside your eye.
- Severe eye injury.
- Certain problems after cataract surgery.
Look for these common symptoms of a retinal issue:
- Bright flashes of light, especially in the peripheral vision.
- Shadow or blindness in your peripheral vision.
- Blurred vision.
- Floaters.
Retinal conditions are very serious. Make an appointment today if you have these symptoms or have a referral for any retinal condition. We are experts in all retinal services and administering medicine to eyes, even handling cases that other ophthalmologists won’t take.
Treating macular degeneration
There are two types of macular degeneration, dry and wet. Although there is no cure yet, we are experts at the diagnosis and treatment of both conditions, and will recommend the best steps to try to limit the loss of vision that may occur.
We can treat even the worst retinal detachments
Retinal detachment has several possible causes, but is most often caused by the formation of a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) where the vitreous gel tugs on the retina and tears it, resulting in retinal detachment. If your macula—the center of your retina—becomes detached, your central vision may be severely affected. You will most likely need one of these surgeries, either immediately or very soon:
- Cryopexy: We apply a cold probe to your retinal tear to form a scar, which will hold your retina to the underlying layer.
- Laser treatment: Seals any tears or holes.
- Pneumatic retinopexy: A gas bubble placed in your eye will help your retina float back into place.
- Scleral buckle: We indent the wall of your eye to help reattach the retina.
- Vitrectomy: We remove gel or scar tissue pulling on your retina.
The risk factors include previous eye surgery, nearsightedness, family history of retinal detachment, uncontrolled diabetes and trauma.
Treating diabetic retinopathy
If you have diabetes, your eyes need to be examined regularly—if caught early, diabetic retinopathy may be treated. To diagnose it, we will use a dilated eye exam and/or ocular coherence tomography (OCT) or a fluorescein angiogram (FA) to look for damaged blood vessels, hemorrhages, swelling and abnormal growth of blood vessels.
There are many ways to treat diabetic retinopathy, depending on your type and your level of retinal damage:
- Laser surgery.
- Injections into the eye.
- Vitrectomy surgery.
- Retinal detachment surgery.
There is no cure yet, so it’s also important that you control your blood sugar and blood pressure with the help of your primary doctor and/or endocrinologist.
Treating flashes and floaters
Often floaters resulting from a PVD are harmless, and they become less bothersome over time. Surgery to remove floaters is almost never required. If your floaters are related to a retinal tear or retinal detachment, then we will immediately treat the tear or detachment as indicated.
Your case is
unique to us
Even though we treat all forms of retinal conditions, we’ll treat your case with a truly personalized approach. Whether you’ve been referred to us or are finding us on your own, make an appointment today so you can get the expert eye care you need.
Retina care
Scott Oliver, MD, Ophthalmologist | UCHealth
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Meet your team
Dr. Scott Oliver
“I am relentlessly dedicated to stopping blinding, scary, and sometimes life-threatening eye diseases.”
Dr. Jesse Smith
“I love using state-of-the-art medicine and surgery to treat eye conditions that not long ago would have been permanently blinding.”