Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Vision Loss: Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion (BRAO)
The central retinal artery, an ophthalmic artery branch, enters the eye through the optic disc and separates into several branches to perfuse the inner layers of the retina.
When one of these branches of the vascular supply to the retina becomes clogged, this is known as a branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO).
This is a clog in one of the arteries that supply blood to your retina. Recovery is more likely with this version of the disease.
Following treatment, you should be able to maintain fair to good vision. The main artery of the eye is affected by CRAO.
A branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) is a blockage in a smaller artery. This may result in the loss of a portion of your visual field, such as vision, to one side.
A BRAO may go unnoticed if the afflicted area is not in the center of the eye or is very tiny.
Branch retinal artery blockage refers to the reduced arterial blood supply to the retina, which causes ischemic damage.
The extent of vision loss is determined by the region of retinal tissue impacted by the vascular blockage. 38% of all acute retinal artery blockages are caused by BRAO.
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How HBOT May Help with BRAO
As a result of the hypoperfusion of retinal tissue, visual loss may occur. While the illness is commonly represented as a single entity, it actually consists of two separate subtypes: permanent BRAO and transient BRAO.
More permanent occlusion usually causes more severe vision loss. The visual prognosis of transient BRAO is better.
Systemic diseases that predispose an individual to vascular narrowing include hypertension, carotid occlusive disease or atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and hypercholesterolemia.
Diabetes mellitus and transient ischemic attack/cerebrovascular accident are more common in BRAO patients than in the overall US population]. Smoking has also been linked to BRAO.
BRAO is more common in older people and is extremely rare in pediatric patient populations.
The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for vision loss caused by BRAO is comparable to that used for CRAO patients.
Because of the increased oxygen, blood flow to the eye has improved, but the arteries have been damaged.
It has been established that hyperbaric oxygen therapy can normalize blood flow and restore vision in BRAO patients if it is delivered as soon as possible following the onset of symptoms.