Retinal detachment often begins with a tiny tear in the retina, which is the thin light sensing tissue at the back of the eye. This tear usually forms when the gel inside the eye, called the vitreous, pulls on the retina as it naturally shrinks with age. When the pull becomes strong enough the retina can open slightly, creating a small break that allows fluid to slip underneath it. Once fluid begins to pass through the tear it slowly lifts the retina away from the tissue that supplies it with ox