– Small spots moving in the field of vision, especially when looking at a smooth surface in a very bright environment.

• Age
• Myopia
• People who have had cataract surgery
• Patients who have undergone laser eye surgery
• Suffer from inflammation inside the eye

 
Floaters themselves are usually not serious and most patients get used to them fairly easily. Also, there is no treatment that does not entail certain risks to ameliorate the problem. Therefore, the most common recommendation is to learn to live with them. The ophthalmologist will provide some guidelines to facilitate the process:

• Use sunglasses.
• Use glasses or contact lenses with our optical correction.
• Avoid minimalist environments.
• Observe areas with nuances and various shades of colour.
• Reduce the brightness of screens.
• Avoid excessive light indoors.
• Keep yourself distracted and do not pay excessive attention to spots.
• Practise relaxing activities.

Furthermore, it is advisable to wait for a certain period of time, normally around 6 months, as symptoms often tend to improve.

However, some people may become extremely uncomfortable due to myodesopsias and their quality of life may be greatly affected. For this reason, a personalised assessment is essential and in very severe cases, other options may be considered. It is important to bear in mind that even though they do offer improvement, they are not completely risk-free and do not guarantee their total eradication.

Vitrectomy

In expert hands, a vitrectomy is a fairly safe surgical procedure, although it is not free of possible complications. Therefore, in the case of floaters, the risk-benefit balance dictates that vitrectomy should not be routinely performed.

Vitrectomy would allow the opacities to be removed either exclusively (just the opacities) or to remove the vitreous in its entirety. Neither option is risk-free.

The first option, which is simpler and quicker, may result in the detachment of the vitreous in a short period of time, leading to retinal tears or ruptures, vitreous haemorrhages or even retinal detachment. The second option is more complex and therefore more likely to cause complications.

The most common adverse effects of an operation of this type are the appearance of cataracts and chronic elevation of intraocular pressure.

Of course, cataracts can be treated effectively afterwards, but this entails another surgical procedure.

Additionally, ocular hypertension problems are usually easily treatable with eye drops, although more severe cases may require surgical treatment. Eye drops may be necessary for life to prevent the development of glaucoma.

Vitreolisis YAG Vitreolysis

Using laser impacts, the most bothersome opacities are fragmented. However, it should not be performed routinely and can only be effective in very specific cases, as there is no certainty that it will improve symptoms or that the procedure will not leave medium- and long-term sequelae in the retina in the form of vitreoretinal traction.