According to a recent study, vitrectomy has been shown to effectively restore clear vision in patients with severe symptomatic vitreous opacities, improving their quality of life.
Published in Clinical Ophthalmology, researchers assessed vitrectomy's efficacy and safety for treating degenerative vitreous syndrome. They highlighted the value of "floater stories" from patients in identifying candidates for vitrectomy and managing expectations.
Despite its potential, study author Robert E. Morris, M.D., noted vitrectomy's adoption has been slow due to perceived risks, unrealistic patient expectations, and fear of professional ridicule, describing floater vitrectomy as "immensely controversial" in a 2015 report.
He has had experience with vitrectomy since 1990, citing advances in 27-gauge technology and noting that patients with chronic floaters who seek treatment rarely have "unrealistic expectations."
“They remember continuously clear vision, and they are simply seeking to regain it,” stated Dr. Morris.
In a series of 100 cases, with a mean age of 66 years, 70% of eyes were pseudophakic, 15% underwent combined vitrectomy and cataract extraction, and 13% had cataract extraction within 2 years. Posterior vitreous detachment was present in 95% of cases, contributing to procedural safety. No retinal detachments were found within 1 year postoperatively.
Dr. Morris continues to advocate for increased vitrectomy acceptance, supported by findings of reduced risks and significant benefits. “Measurements serve a useful research purpose in this disease. But no number in any grading system will ever guide individual treatment of symptomatic vitreous opacities better than a patient’s own words,” he concluded.
The author reports no conflicts of interest.