Retinal detachment can be diagnosed by an ophthalmologist with the use of an opthalmoscope which is an instrument that has a bright light and a powerful lens attached that will allow the specialist to see inside the eye where problems can begin. This view through the lens not only shows the inner eye in detail, it is also in three demensions.

One of the other tests that can be done by the ophthalmologist is an ultrasound, which is a painless test that can send sound waves through the eye that will bounce off of the retina. This will create an image of the retina and the other eye structures that result in a video image of this on a video monitor.