Patient education

Patient education is of crucial importance to establish an early diagnosis and treatment of RD, and to preserve vision. All patients at risk should be instructed to notify their ophthalmologist promptly if the following warning signs of RD appear: sudden increase in floaters, a “showers” of floaters that look like spots, hairs or strings, sudden flashes of light in one or both eyes, a shadow or curtain over a portion of the visual field, a sudden blur in the vision. Patient education in RD and its symptoms is particularly important in highly myopic patients undergoing cataract surgery, patients following cataract surgery complicated with vitreous loss, and those undergoing YAG laser for secondary cataract.