Overview
What Detaches and Why Sight Is at Risk
The retina is the light sensitive neural tissue lining the back of the eye.
The retina is the light-sensitive neural tissue lining the back of the eye. In retinal detachment, the neurosensory retina separates from the retinal pigment epithelium and choroid beneath it. That separation disrupts the support and blood supply needed by photoreceptors, causing rapid ischemic injury. Vision loss can become permanent when repair is delayed. The nursing priority is therefore not to determine the exact type of detachment at the bedside. It is to recognize a time-sensitive retinal emergency and move the patient quickly into an ophthalmology pathway.