Retinal detachment surgery

An urgent eye operation to put a detached retina back against the wall of the eye and seal the tear, to try to save your sight.

✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review

In short

A detached retina is an emergency — flashes, lots of new floaters, or a shadow or curtain across your vision need same-day eye assessment.
Surgery usually stops your sight getting worse, but it cannot guarantee how much vision comes back, especially if the centre (macula) was already off.
If a gas bubble is used you may need to hold a particular head position for several days and you must not fly until the bubble has gone.
Around 1 in 10 eyes need a second operation; the most common reason is scar tissue (PVR) pulling the retina off again.

A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.

At a glance

TypeEye operation (urgent)

AnaestheticLocal anaesthetic, sometimes with sedation, or general anaesthetic

How long it takesUsually about 1–2 hours

Hospital stayOften day case, sometimes an overnight stay

Time off workAbout 2–6 weeks, longer if you have a gas bubble or do close work

When you'll see resultsVision often stays blurry for weeks and the final result can take months

On the NHS?A detached retina is an emergency and is treated urgently on the NHS

A general guide. Your surgeon will give you advice for your situation.

Best fit

Can reattach the retina and stop the detachment getting bigger

Pause if

An eye with no useful vision potential, where surgery would not help sight, may be managed differently.

Main recovery point

The eye is sore, red and watery and vision is blurry. If you have a gas bubble you may be asked to hold a set head or face-down position for much of the...

Good aftercare

Clear, written head-posturing and no-fly instructions when gas or oil is used.

First few days

The eye is sore, red and watery and vision is blurry. If you have a gas bubble you may be asked to hold a set head...

First 2 weeks

You use eye drops, avoid getting water in the eye and avoid strenuous activity. You should not drive until the...

2 to 6 weeks

Soreness settles and vision slowly improves. A gas bubble shrinks and disappears over a few weeks; you must not...

2 to 6 months

Vision continues to settle. After a vitrectomy a cataract often develops and may later need its own small...

Medical line illustration of retina imaging and treatment planning for Retinal detachment surgery. — Illustration only - not a diagnosis, medical advice or a promise of result. Your anatomy and treatment plan may differ. Vuemedics does not publish before-and-after photos.

What is retinal detachment surgery?

The retina is the light-sensing layer at the back of the eye. A retinal detachment is when this layer lifts away from the wall of the eye. If it is not put back quickly it can permanently damage your sight, so it is treated as an emergency.

Surgery aims to find every tear or hole in the retina, push the retina back into place, and seal the tears so fluid cannot get behind the retina again. Surgeons use one or a combination of three techniques: a vitrectomy (removing the jelly inside the eye), a scleral buckle (a soft band stitched around the outside of the eye), or pneumatic retinopexy (a gas bubble injected into the eye).

Surgery is usually good at stopping your sight getting worse, but it cannot promise to bring your vision back to how it was before — especially if the central part of the retina (the macula) had already detached. Some eyes need more than one operation.

Types & techniques

There isn't one single operation. The right approach depends on you — which is something to discuss with your surgeon.

Vitrectomy

The jelly (vitreous) inside the eye is removed using fine instruments through tiny openings. The retina is flattened and the eye is filled with a gas bubble or silicone oil to hold it in place while it heals. This is the most common modern approach.

Scleral buckle (buckling)

A soft silicone band is stitched around the outside of the eye to gently push the wall of the eye inwards, closing the tear and supporting the retina. It is often used in younger people and in some types of detachment.

Pneumatic retinopexy

A gas bubble is injected into the eye and you hold your head in a set position so the bubble presses the retina flat. The tear is sealed with laser or freezing. It suits only certain detachments and needs strict posturing.

Laser or freezing (retinopexy)

Laser or a freezing probe (cryotherapy) is used to create a scar that seals the retina around a tear. This is usually combined with one of the operations above rather than used alone for a full detachment.

Gas bubble or silicone oil tamponade

After a vitrectomy the eye is filled with gas (which absorbs over weeks) or silicone oil (which is removed at a later operation) to hold the retina in place. Your surgeon chooses based on the type and position of the detachment.

Common ways to repair a detached retina

Approach	Where it works	Posturing/aftercare
Vitrectomy	Inside the eye; most modern repairs	Often head posturing if gas is used; cataract likely later
Scleral buckle	Outside the eye; some younger patients	May change focus of the eye; no flying issue
Pneumatic retinopexy	Selected upper detachments	Strict head posturing; no flying with gas

Your surgeon chooses based on where the tears are, how the retina has detached, and your eye's anatomy. Sometimes more than one method is combined.

Preparing for your surgery

Treat it as urgent — if you have flashes, a sudden shower of floaters, or a shadow or curtain in your vision, get assessed the same day.
Tell the team about all your medicines, including blood thinners, and any heart, lung or anaesthetic problems.
Ask whether you will have gas or oil in the eye, because gas means no flying and may mean head posturing.
Arrange a lift home and help for the first days, as your vision will be poor in the operated eye at first.
If you have a gas bubble, you may be told to avoid certain general anaesthetic gases for future operations and to carry a warning band — ask the team.
Plan time off work and clarify how much close work, reading or screen time you can do.

What happens

Surgery is done under local anaesthetic (often with sedation) or general anaesthetic, depending on the operation and on you. For a vitrectomy, the surgeon makes tiny openings in the white of the eye, removes the jelly, drains the fluid from under the retina, flattens the retina and seals the tears with laser or freezing.

The eye is then filled with a gas bubble or silicone oil to hold the retina in place. With a scleral buckle, a band is stitched around the eye from the outside. With pneumatic retinopexy, a gas bubble is injected and the tear is sealed. The operation usually takes about one to two hours and many people go home the same day.

Is this operation right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

May not be suitable if…

An eye with no useful vision potential, where surgery would not help sight, may be managed differently.
Some detachments are better suited to one technique than another, so a single approach is not right for everyone.
If scar tissue (PVR) is already advanced, expectations for a single operation must be lowered.
An unwell patient who cannot tolerate the necessary anaesthetic or posturing may need a modified plan.

Delay surgery if…

Delay is usually unsafe — most detachments are treated urgently to protect sight.
Posturing or flying restrictions may need planning around essential travel, which should be discussed urgently rather than delaying surgery.
Active infection elsewhere or unstable medical problems may need brief stabilisation before a general anaesthetic.
If the macula is still attached, surgery is especially time-critical to protect central vision.

Alternatives to discuss

A different surgical technique (vitrectomy, buckle or pneumatic retinopexy) better suited to your detachment.
Laser or freezing alone for a tear that has not yet caused a full detachment.
Observation only for very limited, long-standing detachments not threatening central vision, decided by a specialist.
No active treatment in an eye with no realistic visual potential, after careful discussion.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

What matters most to me?

Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.

What are all my options?

Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.

What would make me pause?

Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.

What happens if I do nothing today?

For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.

Anaesthetic choices

The safest option depends on the operation, your health, the facility and your surgeon/anaesthetist. Ask what is planned and why.

Local anaesthetic

Injections around the eye numb it while you stay awake; common for many vitrectomies.

Local anaesthetic with sedation

Adds medicine to help you relax during surgery under local anaesthetic.

General anaesthetic

Used for longer or more complex operations, for scleral buckles, or where you prefer to be asleep.

Benefits

Can reattach the retina and stop the detachment getting bigger
Usually stops your sight getting worse
Can preserve useful vision, especially if treated before the centre (macula) detaches
Seals the tear so fluid is less likely to track back behind the retina
May allow gradual recovery of some vision over months

Risks & complications

More common

Blurry vision, redness and a sore, watery eye for weeks
Very poor vision while a gas bubble is in the eye, like looking through water
Developing a cataract in the months after a vitrectomy
Needing to hold a head position for several days if gas is used

Less common

The retina detaching again and needing further surgery
Raised pressure inside the eye
Double vision or a change in the eye's focus (more common with a buckle)
Bleeding inside the eye

Rare but serious

Serious infection inside the eye (endophthalmitis)
Scar tissue pulling the retina off again (proliferative vitreoretinopathy, PVR)
Severe loss of vision despite surgery

The biggest uncertainty is how much vision will return. If the macula (the centre of the retina) had already detached, surgery can reattach it but central vision may not fully recover. Scar tissue (PVR) is the main reason a retina detaches again and needs more surgery. Ask your surgeon how your detachment is classified, whether your macula is on or off, and how many operations you might need.

Published figures to discuss

Success and vision outcomes vary widely with the type and duration of the detachment, whether the macula was involved, and whether scar tissue (PVR) develops. Figures from large series are averages and your own surgeon's assessment of your eye matters more than a headline number.

Figure	Reported range	How to interpret it	Source / confidence
Retina stays attached after one operation	Commonly around 80–90%; published primary PPV series for rhegmatogenous detachment often report about 82–94%	Depends heavily on the type of detachment and on PVR; some eyes need more than one operation.	Predictive risk factors for retinal redetachment after vitrectomy — PMCncbi.nlm.nih.govPublished figure
Need for a second operation (redetachment)	Often around 10–20%, higher with PVR, complex detachments or delayed presentation	Scar tissue (PVR) is the most common reason; an insufficient seal of the tear is another.	Predictive risk factors for retinal redetachment after vitrectomy — PMCncbi.nlm.nih.govPublished figure
Cataract after vitrectomy	Very common in phakic eyes; long-term series report the large majority need cataract surgery after vitrectomy	Treatable with a routine separate cataract operation.	Guide sourcesClinical context

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

Recovery — what to expect, and when

Recovery takes time. Vision in the operated eye is usually poor at first and clears slowly over weeks to months, and your final vision depends partly on how the detachment had affected the macula before surgery.

First few days

The eye is sore, red and watery and vision is blurry. If you have a gas bubble you may be asked to hold a set head or face-down position for much of the day for up to about a week.

First 2 weeks

You use eye drops, avoid getting water in the eye and avoid strenuous activity. You should not drive until the team says your vision is safe and legal.

2 to 6 weeks

Soreness settles and vision slowly improves. A gas bubble shrinks and disappears over a few weeks; you must not fly or go to high altitude until it has gone.

2 to 6 months

Vision continues to settle. After a vitrectomy a cataract often develops and may later need its own small operation to clear the vision.

If silicone oil was used

Oil is usually removed at a planned second operation, often a few months later, once the retina is stable.

What's normal — and not a worry

A red, watery, gritty or sore eye for the first weeks
Very blurry vision, especially while a gas bubble is present
Seeing a wobbling line or bubble in your vision as the gas absorbs
Vision that clears only slowly over weeks to months
Needing a cataract operation later after a vitrectomy

Aftercare

Use all prescribed eye drops exactly as directed to prevent infection and inflammation.
Hold the head position you are given if you have a gas bubble — it helps the retina stay flat.
Do not fly or travel to high altitude while any gas bubble remains in the eye.
Avoid heavy lifting, straining, swimming and rubbing the eye in the early weeks.
Do not drive until the team confirms your vision meets the legal standard.
Keep all follow-up appointments so the retina and eye pressure can be checked.
Know the warning signs of a repeat detachment and who to contact urgently.

Before-surgery checklist

Prescribed eye drops collected and understood
Head-posturing instructions written down (if gas used)
No-fly advice noted and travel plans checked
Lift home and help for the first days arranged
Time off work agreed with the team
Emergency eye contact number saved

Scars and how they heal

There is no obvious skin scar. The surgeon works through tiny openings in the white of the eye, or stitches a band around the eye that sits hidden under the surface. The eye is red and may feel gritty while the small wounds and stitches heal.

⚠ Get urgent help if…

A returning shadow, curtain or dark area in your vision
A sudden increase in flashes or floaters
Sudden worsening or loss of vision
Increasing eye pain, especially with nausea or a hard, red eye (raised pressure)
Increasing redness, swelling or discharge (possible infection)
A severe headache or feeling very unwell after surgery with a gas bubble

Who to contact: your surgeon or clinic first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your surgeon gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

A good result is a retina that stays attached and an eye that is comfortable and free of infection. The retina being flat does not always mean vision returns to normal — how much sight comes back depends largely on whether the centre of the retina (macula) had detached and for how long.

Vision usually improves slowly over months. Your surgeon should be honest about the likely ceiling for your eye and explain that the priority is to stop further loss of sight, not to guarantee a return to your previous vision.

How long it lasts

Once the retina is reattached and the tears are sealed, the repair is usually lasting. However, you can develop a new detachment in the same or the other eye in future, so it is important to know the warning signs for life and to get checked urgently if they return.

Combining with other procedures

A cataract operation is very often needed after a vitrectomy, sometimes combined with the retinal surgery and sometimes done later. If silicone oil is used, its removal is a separate planned operation.

Follow-up & long-term care

You will be reviewed closely after surgery — often within a day or two, then over the following weeks — to check the retina is flat, the eye pressure is normal and any gas or oil is behaving as expected. Tell the team straight away if your symptoms return between appointments.

Lifelong awareness of detachment warning signs in both eyes
Prompt review of the other eye if it develops flashes or floaters
Cataract surgery later if vision clouds after a vitrectomy
Planned removal of silicone oil if oil was used
Regular monitoring if you have high short-sightedness or other risk factors

Revision and secondary surgery reality

Some eyes need more than one operation to keep the retina flat, particularly if PVR develops.
If silicone oil is used, a planned second operation to remove it is usual.
Even after a successful reattachment, central vision may remain reduced if the macula had detached.
A new detachment can occur in the other eye, so both eyes need lifelong awareness.

Ask your surgeon for their own revision rate, what counts as a revision, and what is included in the written aftercare policy.

What good aftercare looks like

Clear, written head-posturing and no-fly instructions when gas or oil is used.
An urgent contact route and named team for returning symptoms.
Early and regular review of the retina, eye pressure and any gas or oil.
A plan for later cataract surgery and, if relevant, silicone oil removal.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

Type of operation (vitrectomy, scleral buckle or pneumatic retinopexy) and its complexity
Surgeon's (vitreoretinal specialist) fee
Anaesthetic and theatre or facility fees
Whether gas or silicone oil is used and whether oil removal is later needed
Whether a cataract operation is done at the same time or later
Number of follow-up visits and any need for repeat surgery

Make sure your written quote includes

The vitreoretinal surgeon's fee
Theatre/facility and anaesthetic fees
Cost of any gas, oil or implants used
Whether silicone oil removal or repeat surgery is included
Number of follow-up appointments included
What happens, and what it costs, if the retina detaches again or a complication occurs

On the NHS? A detached retina is a medical emergency and is treated urgently on the NHS; private care is mainly used for follow-up, choice of surgeon or speed of non-emergency review.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.

Choosing a surgeon safely

Check your surgeon is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
Make sure they practise at a CQC-registered location, and look for membership of bodies like BAAPS or BAPRAS.
You're entitled to a two-stage consent process with time to reflect (a cooling-off period). The surgeon who will operate must consent you — not a salesperson.
Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers, discounts or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including aftercare and any revision — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Questions to ask your medical professional

Take this to your consultation. A good surgeon will welcome every one of these.

Is my macula on or off, and how does that affect what vision I can expect?
Which technique are you recommending for me, and why?
Will I have gas or silicone oil, and what does that mean for posturing and flying?
How likely am I to need a second operation?
Will I need a cataract operation afterwards, and when?
What exact symptoms should make me come back urgently?
Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
Will you be the surgeon who carries out my operation, and who looks after me afterwards?
What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
What does a realistic result look like — and what can this operation not achieve?
What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Frequently asked questions

Is a detached retina an emergency?

Yes. New flashes, a sudden shower of floaters, or a shadow or curtain across your vision need same-day assessment. Treating it quickly gives the best chance of saving sight.

Will my vision go back to normal after surgery?

Surgery usually stops things getting worse and often improves vision over months, but it cannot promise full recovery — especially if the centre of the retina had already detached.

Why can't I fly after surgery?

If a gas bubble is in your eye, the gas expands at altitude and can dangerously raise the pressure in the eye. You must wait until the bubble has fully gone, which can take several weeks.

Why do I need to hold my head in a certain position?

A gas bubble floats, so positioning your head keeps the bubble pressing against the part of the retina that needs support while it heals. Your team will show you exactly how.

Will I get a cataract?

After a vitrectomy, most people develop a cataract within a year or two. It can be treated with a separate, routine cataract operation when it affects your vision.

Could it detach again?

Around 1 in 10 eyes need a second operation, often because scar tissue (PVR) pulls the retina off again. You can also develop a new detachment in either eye in future.

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How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: NHS — Detached retina (retinal detachment) Royal College of Ophthalmologists — patient information Moorfields Eye Hospital — vitrectomy Surgical managements for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: network meta-analysis — PMC Predictive risk factors for retinal redetachment after vitrectomy — PMC Anatomical success of pars plana vitrectomy for complex RRD — PMC Predictive risk factors for retinal redetachment after PPV — PMC Ten-year outcomes after retinal detachment repair

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.