Diagnosis of retinal detachment is made by clinical examination. Your ophthalmologist will administer eye drops to enlarge (dilate) the pupils temporarily so that they can examine the retina. This is usually done with an ophthalmoscope, an instrument with a bright light and a special lens to examine the inside of your eye. The ophthalmoscope provides a highly detailed 3D view of the retina, allowing the ophthalmologist to see any retina holes, tears or detachments.
Retinal Detachment
Occasionally, an ultrasound scan may be used to make the diagnosis. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create an image of the structure of the eye on a video monitor. The sound waves travel through your eye and bounce off the retina and other structures within the eye, to construct the image. Ultrasound scans are painless, and does not involve the use of any radiation.
