Central retinal vein occlusion

Our eyes need a strong blood supply to work reliably. A large number of vessels and veins, including the retinal vein at the back of the eye, supply this blood. If clots block these veins or vessels, other fluids and blood leak into the retina. These blockages reduce the vital oxygen supply the retina needs, causing it to swell and bruise – which affects your vision. CRVO can occur for several reasons, but the main causes are:

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

Your vision may have become blurred or misty. You may see small white clouds when you close your eyes and you probably have one good eye that works overtime, causing headaches and tiredness. For many people CRVO is fairly painless, and stopping it is often a case of working out the cause and managing that (for example, if you have got high blood pressure, you can monitor and control it). For others, CRVO is frustrating and distracting and can have a huge impact on day-to-day life.

Laser treatment could help reduce the bruising and swelling of your retina and restore your vision. It is a quick and comfortable solution our team carry out every day. Alternatively, our expert surgeon, Mr Ahmed El-Amir can perform another simple and straightforward procedure. He will gently clean and numb your eye (so you will not feel a thing) and then use eye drops to widen the pupil, before injecting special chemicals to stop the clots. You will come into the surgery as an outpatient and be free to leave as soon as you feel ready.

It is completely natural to feel apprehensive when it comes to your eyes, but what you need to know is our expert clinicians perform these types of procedures every day. We would be happy to discuss your treatment options and any concerns you might have at an initial consultation.

• Speak with our experts – Book your consultation and discuss your CRVO directly with Mr Ahmed El-Amir. We will then draw up a custom treatment plan for you.
• Quick treatment – Procedures for CRVO are quick and you will be able to go home soon after treatment.
• Outstanding aftercare – Before you leave we will explain how to take care of your eye.