Retinal Tears and Detachments

The retina is a thin, light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye. The light rays from your surroundings enter the eye through the cornea and pupil and hit the lens. The lens then focuses the light onto the retina. The retina converts the light rays into impulses that travel through the optic nerve to the brain where they are interpreted as the images we see. When the retina is lifted or pulled from its normal position it is referred to as a retinal detachment. In some cases, there may be small areas of the retina that are torn, these are called retinal tears and may lead to a more serious retinal detachment.