Star Lawrence, a writer in Arizona, knows the cost of delay. In December 2006, she was diagnosed with a detached retina plus haemorrhage in her right eye. (“I saw things like big red branches,” she says.) But her eye surgery wasn’t until weeks later. Now, four operations later, Lawrence has lost almost all the sight in her eye.

How it happens

To understand why speed is so essential, picture a retinal detachment in the making. Normally the retina adheres to the back wall of the eyeball.

A clear gel called the vitreous humor (or just vitreous) helps it stay in place. But as we age, the vitreous becomes more liquid and pulls away from the retina. In some cases, as it pulls away, it tears the retina.

If vitreous liquid gets under that tear, the retina can detach from the eye’s wall, causing floaters (actually, clumps of protein in the vitreous), flashes (quick bursts of light usually in the peripheral vision, caused by tugs on the retina) and vision loss. After a couple of weeks of detachment, the retina begins to lose function. “A retinal doc can still reattach the retina to the eye anatomically, but after two weeks or more, reattachment does not guarantee an improvement in vision,” Solomon says. “That’s especially true if the detachment crosses into the macula.”

If you’re extremely nearsighted and in the 45-to-70 age range, the risk is much higher.

Other risk factors: a family history of retinal detachment, having another eye disease such as glaucoma or cataract, eye surgery. Very nearsighted people can have a detachment at an early age, because their eyeballs are elongated, which makes it easier for the retina to separate.

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