01/09/2026
Not everyone carries the same risk of a retinal tear โ and knowing where you sit is worth more than watching and waiting.
The risk rises with short-sightedness, previous eye surgery including cataract removal, a past eye injury, or a family history of retinal detachment. Age matters too: the vitreous gel inside the eye naturally shrinks and separates from the retina from around the age of 50, and it is during that separation that a tear can occur.
Assessment is straightforward. Dilating drops widen the pupil so the entire retina, right out to its edges, can be examined directly. If a tear is found before the retina detaches, laser treatment in clinic can usually seal it in a single visit. Once detachment has occurred, the treatment becomes surgical and the visual outcome is far less certain.
Dr Low Jin Rong sees patients for this condition at Asian Healthcare Specialists.
๐ Cornerstone Eye Centre (Novena) | Royal Square Medical Centre, #13-08
๐ +65 6690 6238
๐ drlowjinrong.asianhealthcare.com.sg