Retina

What is the retina?
The retina is a light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. When light enters the eye, the retina changes the light into nerve signals. The retina then sends these signals along the optic nerve to the brain. Without a retina, the eye cannot communicate with the brain, making vision impossible.

The retina subspecialty of ophthalmology deals with a variety of diseases of the retina, vitreous (gel inside the back chamber of the eye) and choroid (layer which contains blood vessels and lies between the retina and the tough outer layer), including macular degeneration (gradual damage to the central sensitive portion of the retina), diabetic retinopathy (damage to the retina from abnormal sugar levels in the blood), retinal vascular diseases (diseases of the blood vessels in the retina), retinal detachment (separation of the retina from the underlying layer), retinitis pigmentosa and degenerative diseases, vitreous hemorrhage (bleeding into the back chamber), and choroidal hemorrhage (bleeding in between the retina and the outer layer of the eye).

Diagnosis:
The retina service also performs fluorescein angiography using state-of-the-art computer technology and fundus photography.

Treatment:
Treatments include laser surgery for patients with diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, retinal tears and holes, as well as for other retinal disorders, and retinal surgeries such as retinal detachment repair, macular hole repair, and vitrectomies (removal of the vitreous gel that lies in the back of the eye).

Doctors:

• Joseph T. Fan, MD
• Michael Rauser, MD
  
• Mukesh Suthar, MD