Seeing spots: Eye floaters

An Associated Press health news article in USA Today caught my eye (you'll pardon the expression). It's about a somewhat controversial surgical procedure that uses lasers to correct a condition called 'eye floaters.'

Very few ophthalmologists in the United States perform this treatment. And, as the USA Today article points out, "many ophthalmologists have never heard of the procedure — and most would recommend against it. "

Do you know what floaters are? Here's a brief description of eye floaters from the website of the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center:

Small specks or clouds moving in your field of vision are called floaters. You may see them more clearly when looking at a plain background, such as a blank wall. Floaters are actually tiny clumps of gel or cells inside the vitreous, the clear jelly-like fluid that fills the inside of your eye. Floaters can have different shapes, such as little dots, circles, lines clouds or cobwebs.

While these objects look like they are in front of your eye, they are actually floating inside. What you see are the shadows they cast on the retina, the nerve layer at the back of the eye that senses light and allows you to see.

The National Eye Institute, which is a unit of the National Institutes of Health, warns that people who experience a sudden increase in floaters, flashes of light in peripheral vision, or a loss of peripheral vision should have an eye care professional examine their eyes as soon as possible to rule out the possibility of retinal detachment. Most instances of floaters, however, are merely annoying and usually do not require treatment.

For people who have floaters that are simply annoying, no treatment is recommended. On rare occasions, floaters can be so dense and numerous that they significantly affect vision. In these cases, a vitrectomy, a surgical procedure that removes floaters from the vitreous, may be needed. A vitrectomy removes the vitreous gel, along with its floating debris, from the eye. The vitreous is replaced with a salt solution. Because the vitreous is mostly water, you will not notice any change between the salt solution and the original vitreous. This operation carries significant risks to sight because of possible complications, which include retinal detachment, retinal tears, and cataract. Most eye surgeons are reluctant to recommend this surgery unless the floaters seriously interfere with vision [National Eye Institute].

The USA Today article that I mentioned at the beginning of this post quotes Richard Bensinger, a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, who says that while the vast majority of patients can learn to live with floaters, the laser treatment can be a better choice than a vitrectomy for those who insist on getting rid of their floaters. Bensinger acknowledged that "the laser treatment is often successful and carries little risk." It is controversial primarily because most doctors believe any risk is unacceptable for treating a benign condition like floaters.

To read about laser surgery for eye floaters, and the doctors who perform the procedure, see Treatment of eye floaters ignites debate on the USA Today website.

Visit the Vision and Eye Health page on AircrewHealth.com for more news and information about visual disorders.