n. 1. a technique used in surgery for the correction of retinal detachment. A small piece of silicone plastic is sewn on the outside of the eyeball to produce an indentation over the retinal hole or tear to allow the retina to reattach. 2. the insertion of plastic balls into the pleural cavity to cause collapse of the lung. This was done in the days before effective antituberculous drugs to help tuberculosis to heal.
(detached retina) separation of the inner nervous layer of the *retina from the outer pigmented layer (retinal pigment epithelium, RPE). It commonly occurs when a break (hole or tear) allows fluid from the vitreous cavity of the eyeball to accumulate under the retina (rhegmatogenous) but can also occur when fluid accumulates by leakage from the RPE (nonrhegmatogenous). Vision is lost in the affected part of the retina. The retina can be reattached by surgical means, such as external *plombage or internal *vitrectomy, or by creating patches of scar tissue between the retina and the choroid by application of extreme cold (see cryosurgery) or heat (see photocoagulation).... retinal detachment
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