Retina specialists are specialized in the treatment of diseases of the retina. This subspecialty of ophthalmology is sometimes known as vitreoretinal medicine. The vitreous is the jelly like substance that fills the back of the eye. The retina is a delicate nerve tissue that lines the back inside wall of the eye and is the part of the eye responsible for creating an image that is processed by the brain. Retina specialists treat a wide range of eye conditions, dealing with both adults and children. The services of a retina specialist may be recommended to a patient with an eye condition which cannot be cared for by a general ophthalmologist.
Some conditions commonly treated by a retina specialist include: age-related macular degeneration, flashes and floaters, diabetic retinopathy, retinal tears, retinoblastoma, retinal detachment, retinitis pigmentosa, and cancers of the eye. Retina specialist also treat patients who have experienced severe eye trauma, with the goal of addressing the trauma and repairing or preventing damage to the eye. Retina specialists may also be consulted in the case of a patient dealing with a hereditary disease of the eye. The retinal specialist is most often called upon when vision can no longer be improved after appropriate glasses have been prescribed and/or cataract surgery to determine the cause of the persistent decreased vision, or if there is any abnormality noted in the back of the eye on routine eye examination.
