What is retinal vein occlusion?

Your retina is a layer of tissue at the back of your eyeball. It turns light into signals that are sent to the brain, which recognises them as images.

When a vein in the retina becomes blocked, it’s called retinal vein occlusion. The blockage causes blood and other fluids to leak into the retina, which can suddenly affect your vision.

A retinal vein occlusion is usually painless and tends to affect people aged over 60, although younger people can be affected by too.A retinal vein occlusion can occur all over the retina (known as a central retinal vein occlusion) or in just one or two segments of the retina (known as a branch retinal vein occlusion).

At The London Clinic, we have a team of ophthalmology consultants who are experts at diagnosing and treating eye conditions, including retinal vein occlusion.

They’re assisted by an expert multidisciplinary team that will support you from your first consultation, during your treatment and throughout your recovery.  

With everything you need under one roof, we take care of the details so you can focus on you.

What causes retinal vein occlusion?

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is usually caused by a blood clot that obstructs blood flow in the retinal vein. The cause of the blood clot is usually unknown, but risk factors that increase the chance of this happening include:

•    High blood pressure 
•    High cholesterol 
•    Diabetes
•    Glaucoma
•    Smoking

In younger people who develop RVO, we’d also consider investigating for causes of thickening of the blood that may contribute to the blockage, for example, a blood disorder such as polycythaemia.

What are the symptoms of retinal vein occlusion?

The symptoms of retinal vein occlusion can range from subtle to very obvious. These symptoms typically occur in one eye and include:

•    Blurry or missing vision in part or all of an eye
•    Dark spots or lines floating in your vision
•    Pain and pressure in your eye

How is retinal vein occlusion diagnosed?

At The London Clinic, your consultant ophthalmologist will discuss your full medical history and symptoms and carry out an examination of your eye with a tool called a slit lamp.

They may also recommend you undergo one or more of the following diagnostic tests:

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan

An OCT scan uses light waves to take cross-section pictures of your retina. This allows your consultant to map and measure the thickness of the retina’s separate layers. 

This can help with the diagnosis of eye conditions including retinal vein occlusion.

Fluorescein dye angiography 

A dye is injected into your arm which travels to your eye. The dye helps to highlight the blood vessels in the retina. 

Your consultant then uses a special camera to take pictures of your retina. These images help them to locate a blockage in a blood vessel, establish the extent of the occlusion and identify any secondary complications. 

How is retinal vein occlusion treated?

There is no cure for RVO. Your consultant can’t unblock a retinal vein. This means treatment is focused on treating symptoms and complications to protect your sight.

Following diagnosis of retinal vein occlusion, your consultant may recommend one or more of the following treatment options:

Injection treatment

A medicine called anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) or steroids may be used to reduce the build-up of fluid in your eye and ease swelling.

Your consultant will use a very fine needle to inject these medicines into your eye. Your eye will be numbed before this procedure is performed.
These injections are often repeated because the effect of the medicine wears off.

Laser surgery

Laser treatment may be used to treat branch or central retinal vein occlusions. The laser burns and seals off blood vessels to prevent them from leaking. 

Lifestyle changes

Your consultant may recommend changes to your lifestyle that could help you now and prevent future retinal vein occlusions from occurring. This includes stopping smoking and keeping your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels under control.
 

It’s also important to note that 20% of people with RVO develop abnormal blood vessels on the retina or iris at the front of the eye. These abnormal blood vessels may bleed or increase pressure in the eye, causing further vision loss.

However, this problem can normally be prevented by laser treatment that stabilises and preserves the condition of the eye.