İpek, who lives in Istanbul, has been myopic since the age of 8 and wears glasses, complained of sudden vision loss in both eyes when she turned 18, and the doctors told her that she could lose both eyes. İpek said, "I was very worried. That day I was very sad and cried." İpek, who recovered from detachment due to retinal tears thanks to the surgery performed using the correct method, stated that she is well and very happy.

Stating that the disease called retinal detachment is a disease seen in 1 person in 10.000, Prof. Dr. Sinan Tatlıpınar, Head of the Ophthalmology Department at Yeditepe University Hospital, stated that this condition is seen more rarely in young people.

A Rare Case

Prof. Dr. Sinan Tatlıpınar, Head of the Ophthalmology Department at Yeditepe University Hospital, stated that the patient, İpek, is an even rarer case because this disease is usually seen in one eye, and gave the following information: “Our patient presented to us at the age of 18 with sudden decreased vision in both eyes. On examination, we detected simultaneous retinal detachment (retinal detachment) in both eyes. Retinal detachment is the separation of the retinal layer at the back of the eye from the eye wall as a result of tears. You can think of it as the wallpaper separated from the wall. You can think of the retina as the film of old film cameras. The peculiarity of this patient is that she was quite young and had a retinal detachment in both eyes at the same time.”

Who Experiences Retinal Detachment?

Prof. Dr. Tatlıpınar, who stated that retinal detachments are generally seen over the age of 50, gave the following information about the disease: “We see retinal detachments mostly over the age of 50. These patients typically experience sudden onset light flashes and flying flies. The reason for this is the displacement of the intraocular gel that fills the posterior inner part of the eye. These complaints are the findings that warn the patient to consult an ophthalmologist immediately. In other words, those who have sudden onset light flashes or flying flies should consult an ophthalmologist immediately.

In young people, retinal detachments are usually seen due to high myopia or traumas such as impact or knock. Another rare subtype in young people is slowly progressive retinal detachments in moderately myopic patients. The characteristic of these is that when the symptoms start in the patients, that is, when the central vision loss occurs, they are often advanced, and complaints such as light flashes are often not seen beforehand. Our patient also had this type of detachment.”

"Myopic Patients Should Have A Fundus Examination Once a Year" 

It should be kept in mind that an annual eye examination is appropriate and the retina can be seen in more detail by dilating the pupils when necessary. Stating that retinal detachment gives symptoms with light flashes in the eyes and a feeling as if flies are flying, Prof. Dr. Tatlıpınar said that it is important to perform a fundus examination in the routine examination performed once a year, especially in myopia. Prof. Dr. Tatlıpınar used the following statements: “One of the important things for us is the necessity of scanning the retina by dilating the pupils in the routine examinations of myopic people once a year. In this way, if the hole in the retina and the initial detachment due to these can be detected in the early period, it can be prevented by laser without the need for surgery. Not all retinal tears lead to detachment. Sometimes it can be limited by the body, but it is necessary not to fully trust them and to strengthen these areas with a laser. Because this limit created by the body can be exceeded, especially due to trauma or heavy lifting.”

"It Can Be Caused by Impact or Heavy Lifting"

Stating that retinal detachment surgeries are often performed under general anesthesia, Prof. Dr. Tatlıpınar said that the retinal tear is closed with different techniques, and in this way, this gap is eliminated by absorbing the fluid between the eye wall and the retina. Prof. Dr. Tatlıpınar continued his words as follows: “In the first few days after surgery, patients may experience stinging and burning. Generally, these complaints decrease after 1 week and the symptoms usually settle within 1 month. The surgery can be performed with external (scleral buckling) or intraocular (vitrectomy) techniques. Preferring the first technique in cases like our patient gives successful results in suitable eyes. In addition, since it is an operation from the surface of the eye, both eyes could be operated on the same day, as in our patient. In our patient, on the first postoperative day, the subretinal fluid was absorbed and settled back in place.”

"I Felt Miserable and I Thought That I Would Not Recover"

İpek, a university student who has been wearing glasses since she was 8 years old and whose whole life became miserable when doctors said, "You can go blind due to bilateral retinal detachment," stated, “My eye number was always high, but other than that, I had no complaints. I went to an ophthalmologist when blurriness and flying flies in front of my eyes started. When I went, they said I needed a detailed fundus examination. There were not enough equipment facilities there. Another doctor I went to said that I needed urgent surgery and that I could go blind. I was very worried that day. I was upset and cried a lot. Then I found my doctor Sinan Tatlıpınar. He also said that I needed surgery immediately after an examination. In this way, he saved my eyes. When I first heard it, I was devastated and thought that I would not recover, but I did.”