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<div class="section1">Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is an emergency. If treatment begins within an hour, the patient has the highest possibility of regaining vision in the affected eye, although complete restoration is unlikely.
A common treatment is inhalation of carbon dioxide so as to dilate the retinal vessels and move the occlusion from the central retinal artery to a branch artery. This movement reduces the area of the retina affected and may restore a certain amount of vision. Eyeball massage may also be performed, also in an effort to remove the occlusion. The physician may also consider puncturing the eyeball.
Drug therapy includes the use of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors to reduce the internal eye pressure and enhance movement of the occlusion. Both of the treatments would be used within the first 24 hours of noticeable vision loss.
Source: The Gale Group. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 3rd ed.";
