Floaters
"Floaters", sometimes associated with flashes of light can be annoying. They are caused by degeneration in the vitreous (jelly), which constitutes the posterior section of the eye.
Laser treatment for floaters
until recently patients were told to ignore the floaters but clearly many patients find them unacceptable. Recently I have been using the YAG laser to remove the floaters and patients are highly delighted with the outcome.
The procedure takes a few minutes and can be done in my office. There is no discomfort during or after the procedure. If you are bothered by persistant floaters, then you should be assessed to see whether laser treatment can help you.
About floaters
In the young eye, the vitreous gel is solid and the posterior vitreous surface (or posterior hyaloid) is attached to the disc, macula and vitreous base. Other adhesions may also exist along the retinal surface (ie, to vessels or to chorioretinal scars). |
In the aging eye, small pockets of vitreous liquefaction (lacunae) called vitreous degeneration or syneresis can develop within the gel. |
The lacunae may coalesce into large pockets and lead to physical separation of the posterior hyaloid from the retinal surface. |
As the separation occurs, traction from vitreous retinal adhesions can physiologically stimulate the retina to product light flashes (ie, photopsias) or can cause physical damage (ie, tear). Light scattering by opacities or blood in the vitreous gel may be perceaved as "floaters" by the patient. The focal vitreoretinal traction may lead to formation of a horseshoe retinal tear and a retinal detachment if the tear is untreated. |
External links
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