While new floaters can be a sign of a serious condition, many floaters are harmless and tend to fade over time
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BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Brevard veterinarian Dr. Sarah Guttery was seeing a lot of spots before her eyes, and it wasn’t because she was examining a Dalmatian.
Dr. Guttery was experiencing a surfeit of vitreous floaters, those highly vexing specks, dots, circles, lines and cobwebs that seem to drift and dart across the field of vision of so many of us, particularly when we look at light-colored backgrounds such as a piece of white paper, a blue sky or a blank wall.
In Dr. Guttery’s case, the condition had escalated to the point intervention was recommended.
“I was seeing waves in my vision and flashes of light,” she said.
“It was a huge annoyance.”
The Titusville resident sought help from Dr. Timothy Tweito of Florida Retina Specialists, a medical practice that provides world-class comprehensive medical and surgical retinal eye care. She had acted wisely, since seeing flashes of light is genuine cause for concern.
Dr. Tweito suggested a vitrectomy of Dr. Guttery’s left eye. The outpatient procedure removes the vitreous gel from the eye, where the floaters proliferate.
“While new floaters can be a sign of a serious condition, many floaters are harmless and tend to fade over time. When they persist, intervention can be considered.” said Dr. Tweito.
Even at their best, floaters can be more than just annoying and can impede vision, making reading and work more difficult.
“They can certainly impact negatively on a person’s enjoyment of life,” said Dr. Frank Venzara III, who heads Florida Retina Specialists.
A sudden dramatic increase in Floaters can be a sign of sight-threatening condition such as a retinal tear or worse, a retinal detachment, requiring immediate intervention.
Floaters are typically caused by age-related changes in the vitreous fluid, aka vitreous humor, the transparent, colorless, gel-like substance that fills the space between the lens and the retina within the eye.
Primarily water, the vitreous humor is also composed of a small percentage of collagen, glycosaminoglycans (sugars), electrolytes (salts) and proteins. Floaters are the shadows of scattered clumps of collage fibers that form within the vitreous, casting tiny shadows on the retina.
The fluid’s main role is to maintain the round shape of the eye. Part of the eye that can help with vision clarity, the clear substance enables light to pass through and reach the retina. As it travels through the vitreous humor to the retina, light is translated to visual information that is transmitted by the optic nerve to the brain. The fluid also prevents eye damage by absorbing shock associated with unexpected occurrences such as a thump to the head.
The vitreous humor shrinks with the normal process of aging as the fluid thins in consistency and separates from the retina. The condition, known as posterior vitreous detachment, or PVD, leads to a significant increase in floaters, as well as flashes of light appearing.
PVD can potentially result in vitreous hemorrhage by causing blood vessels to stretch and tear, and can also cause traction on the retina, leading to several severe complications such as a retinal tear or macular hole as the vitreous pulls away from the eye. Retinal tear can lead to retinal detachment, a medical emergency that requires prompt surgery.
During vitrectomy, the ophthalmologist replaces all or part of the vitreous fluid from the middle of the eye with a balanced salt solution similar to saline, thus removing the floaters. The eye eventually replaces the saline solution with aqueous humor, the clear fluid the eye naturally produces.
Dr. Guttery was so pleased with the results of the vitrectomy to her left eye that she subsequently also opted for the procedure in her right eye. Dr. Venzara, III performed the second procedure.
“I had a very positive surgical experience with both Dr. Tweito and Dr. Venzara,” she said.
In practice since 1990, Dr. Guttery now performs exams, procedures, and surgeries at her practices in Cocoa and Port St. John with vision that is clearer than ever, and enjoys leisure pursuits such as running marathons and participating in triathlons, scuba diving, hiking, snow skiing and rock climbing more than before now that the floaters are gone.
“After the vitrectomy, the clarity was just amazing,” she said.
Most importantly, these days she relishes crisp, clear views of her new grandson, no floaters in sight!
For more information, visit FloridaRetinaSpecialists.com.
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