Retinal Detachment Surgery

About Retinal Detachment Surgery

Retinal detachment is a condition when the thin lining at the back of the eye (the retina) begins to come away and separate itself from the underlying wall of the eye which contains blood vessels that supply it with vital oxygen and nutrients.

If not treated promptly, retinal detachment will lead to blindness in the affected eye.

A retinal detachment is usually caused by a tear in the retina and this is termed a Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. There are other types of retinal detachment namely Traction retinal detachment which is usually seen in advanced diabetic retinopathy and Exudative retinal detachment (usually seen in people with inflammation). It is the Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment which needs urgent surgery in most cases.

Causes

The retina at the back of the eye sends signals to the brain, enabling us to see. Without a blood supply, the retina’s nerve cells die leading to loss of sight.

Retinal detachment is usually the result of the retina developing a tear in it. Once a tear develops and if not treated, fluid can go through the tear and cause the retina can pull away from the underlying blood vessel wall

Very short-sighted people have the greatest risk of developing age-related retinal detachment (though the risk is still very small) because they are often born with a thinner than normal retina in the first place.

Previous eye surgery, such as cataract removal, may also make the retina more vulnerable to damage.

In some cases, a tear can develop if the eye is suddenly injured, such as by a blow to the face but this is less common.

Symptoms

Most people experience advance symptoms of a possible retinal detachment before losing their sight, including:

sudden appearance of floaters – black dots, specks or streaks that float across the field of vision (usually only one eye is affected)
web effect of lots of small floaters – some people see a single large black floater in the shape of a fly
sudden short flashes (no more than one second) of light in the affected eye
seeing a dark shadow like a curtain falling down from the outer aspect of the field of vision in the affected eye
blurring or distortion of vision

Without urgent treatment, the vision in the affected eye will start to deteriorate, creating the effect of a shadow or ‘black curtain’ spreading across the vision. If a person experiences a shadow in the vision then it is extremely important to consult an eye doctor immediately before the shadow spreads across the centre of the vision.

Retinal detachment usually only occurs in one eye, however if one eye is affected, there is a 1 in 10 chance that the retina in your other eye will also detach.

If the eye specialist (ophthalmologist) suspects a retinal detachment, an examination of the back of the eye will confirm it.

Urgent Retinal Detachment treatment is essential to lower the risk of permanent vision loss. The Retinal Detachment treatment is mainly surgery and eye drops will not help.

Most but not all detached retinas can be successfully reattached through different types of surgery, followed by a few months of recovery when vision will be weak, affecting lifestyle activities such as driving.

Some people’s eyesight does not fully return after surgery and they have permanently reduced peripheral (side) or central vision. This can happen even if the retina is reattached successfully.

This risk is higher the longer the detachment was left untreated.

Retinal Detachment Surgery Specialists

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Dubai
Abu Dhabi

Dr. Ammar Safar

Chief Medical Officer and Consultant Ophthalmologist & Vitreoretinal Surgeon

Dr. Ammar Safar is an American Board-Certified Ophthalmologist specialising in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City. He is currently an adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at Mohammad Bin Rashed University and the Chief Medical Officer of Moorfields Eye Hospitals in the United Arab Emirates. Dr. Safar undertook his medical training in Syria before moving to the United States for post-graduate training. He specialised in Ophthalmology at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where he also served as a Chief Resident. He then acquired an additional 2-year fellowship training in Vitreoretinal Diseases & Surgery at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, USA. Dr. Ammar then went on to hold the position of Assistant and later Associate Professor and Director of Vitreoretinal Surgery at the Department of Ophthalmology, Jones Eye Institute, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, in the United States. He then relocated to the UAE, where he was a Consultant Vitreoretinal Surgeon and President of Medical Staff at a private general hospital in Dubai. In addition to his work in private practice, Dr. Ammar has undertaken research and clinical trials in areas such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related eye diseases and published and presented extensively. His research has also resulted in advances in retinal vascular diseases (discovering new management options for diabetic retinopathy and vascular occlusive disorders) and macular degeneration (new approaches for treating exudative macular degeneration). Among his many honorary awards, Dr. Ammar was the inaugural recipient of The Martha Wood Bentley endowed Chair of Ophthalmology at the University of Arkansas. He is a member of several professional associations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Retina Specialists, the European Society of Retina Specialists, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, The Association for Research In Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), Arab-American Medical Association, Research to Prevent Blindness, and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

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Prof. Ziad Bashshur

Visiting Consultant Ophthalmologist in Medical & Surgical Retina

Dr. Ziad Bashshur is a visiting Ophthalmologist specialising in Medical and Surgical Retina at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City. He holds a Doctor of Medicine Diploma from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1994. He has also completed an internship in internal medicine at Georgetown/VA medical center (1994-1995) followed by ophthalmology residency training at AUB (1995-1998) and a vitreoretinal fellowship at the University of Virginia, USA. He has more than 22 years of regional/international experience in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery in countries including United States and Lebanon. In his career, he has practiced in leading medical institutions such as American University of Beirut in Lebanon and University of Virginia in the US. He is currently a tenured professor and vice-chairman of Ophthalmology at the American University of Beirut. Dr. Bashshur has undertaken research in retinal diseases and has published over 50 research papers on macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, vascular diseases of the retina and retinal imaging in leading journals. In addition, he sits on several advisory boards within the medical industry. He regularly speaks at professional meetings worldwide and serves on the review board of several renowned peer-reviewed ophthalmology journals. He is a member of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), Retina Society and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society

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Dr. Razek Coussa

Visiting Consultant Ophthalmologist in Adult and Paediatric vitreoretinal diseases & surgery, inherited retinal diseases and retinal gene therapy

Dr. Razek Coussa is a visiting consultant Ophthalmologist specialising in adult and paediatric vitreoretinal diseases and surgery, inherited retinal diseases and retinal gene therapy at Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City. Dr. Razek academic journey started at McGill University (Montreal, Canada), where he graduated with a Bachelor in Chemical Engineering (Dean’s Honours list) in 2007, followed by a Masters in Biomedical Engineering in 2008. After obtaining a Masters in Philosophy in Bioscience Enterprise from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom 2009), he returned to McGill University, where He completed his training in Medicine (2009-2013), followed by a post-graduate residency in Ophthalmology (2013-2018). After which he successfully obtained the Canadian Royal College certification in Ophthalmology and the American Board of Ophthalmology certification. Dr. Razek then completed four years of fellowship training, developing comprehensive clinical, surgical, and research expertise in multiple retina-related sub-specialities. His training included a one-year fellowship in Paediatric Ophthalmology and Inherited Retinal Diseases at the prestigious Cole Eye Institute of the Cleveland Clinic (2018-2019), advanced training in Medical Retina and Molecular Ophthalmology at the world-renowned Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Iowa (2019-2020), and extensive training in Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery at Iowa (2020-2022). Dr. Razek brings over 10 years of regional/international experience in medical and surgical vitreoretinal diseases, and inherited retinal diseases, having worked in countries including the United States and Canada. This global perspective enriches his approach to patient care and research. In his career, he has practised in leading medical institutions such as the University of Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa, USA), Cole Eye Institute of the Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio, USA), The Dean McGee Eye Institute (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA) and McGill University Health Center (Montreal, Quebec, Canada). Dr. Razek has undertaken research in surgical and inherited retinal diseases and inherited retinal diseases and has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on diabetic retinopathy, vitreomacular traction, Choroideremia and Stargardt disease, among others. He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), the International Society for Genetic Eye Diseases and Retinoblastoma (ISGEDR), and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).

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Dr. Ramzi Ghanem

Consultant Ophthalmologist in Medical Retina, Vitreoretinal and Cataract Surgery

Dr. Ramzi Ghanem is a Consultant Ophthalmologist with extensive experience in cataract surgery as well as medical and surgical retina including the full spectrum of vitreoretinal surgery, intravitreal drug injection and laser treatment. Dr. Ramzi is a graduate of the University of Leipzig, Germany and completed his 2 doctoral thesis on anti-VEGF isomers in AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) at the University of Leipzig and predictors for short term visual outcome after anti-VEGF therapy of CSME due to CRVO at the University of Bern, Switzerland. He has more than 20 years of experience in Germany, Switzerland and UAE. He has researched extensively, conducted clinical trials, published and lectured on his areas of expertise. He has been a HAAD consultant and examiner for licensure in ophthalmology.

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