Interventions for mobile bodies
VITREOLYSIS
VITREOLYSIS
With advancing age, starting from 40-45 years, and in particular in myopic people, the vitreous body undergoes chemical-physical changes that can give rise to inhomogeneities and small clusters of collagen fibers and dead cells, known how vitreous floaters o floaters.
I movable bodies remain suspended in the vitreous floating inside the eyeball. Sometimes they come along the optical path and cast their shadow on the retina, causing the perception of annoying spots in the visual field, commonly known as flying flies.
I movable bodies they can have different forms: with fibrous lock, scattered clouds, Spider web, anello di White. If the fly flies are in quantity and size that interfere with the quality of vision (as in sparkling sinchisis or in the asteroid hyalosis) and if the effect of the force of gravity is not sufficient to make the floaters settle downwards, freeing the optical path, it is possible to opt for a specific intervention for floaters.
In the first analysis, the possibility of using a named laser treatment is evaluated vitreolysis, which involves the use of a nanosecond laser able to hit floaters with extreme precision causing their disintegration by means of sublimationVitreolysis can only be performed if the floaters are not located too close to the retina or lens, therefore before referring a patient to this type of treatment it is advisable to carry out a thorough eye examination, with the execution of aechography to correctly identify the position and size of the movable bodies to be eliminated. The acquisition of ultrasound images allows the specialist to evaluate and plan the most suitable intervention.
Vitreolysis is performed in outpatient mode after instillation of mydiatric eye drops is preferably used for dilation of the pupil and some drops of anesthetic for the 'application of a contact lens needed to accurately locate and target the flying flies inside the eye. These, once hit by the laser, sublimate forming micro bubbles which are then rapidly reabsorbed.
Vitreolysis is usually able to restore normal vision. If the floaters are very large, this technique can still be used to reduce their size, limiting visual discomfort. The treatment is repeatable, so if new floaters recur, this procedure can be used several times.
Some patients may be unsuitable for vitreolysis, in these cases an intervention of vitreolysis for floaters only (FOV, from English Floaters Only Vitrectomy), which consists in removing the entire vitreous body containing the floaters themselves and replacing it with an inert material.
Vitrectomy for floaters only is a real surgery and as such takes place in the operating room. The surgery has a variable duration between 20 and 30 minutes and involves a post-operative with various discomfort.
Like any surgery, FOV involves risks, therefore it is advisable to use it only in those cases in which the presence of floaters determines a truly significant visual impairment.
