Floaters

[Jeff]

Has anybody else noticed floaters since LASIK surgery? Is there a direct connection? Are there GOOD treatment options available?
Jeff

[Missy]

I have more floaters since my lasik surgery. They are very annoying. I give myself a headache sometimes by focusing on them. They look worst outside or in very bright light. I've heard that they may settle, but don't know for sure??

Missy

[FaithHope]

I have more floaters since having lasik. It has been three years now and they have not settled down for me.

[Jeff]

Thanks for confirmation!

I am coming up on my 4 year mark since my LASIK disaster and have noticed that there are far more floaters since my surgery. They are getting harder to ignore in certain situations. If I am reading they seem to settle down in front of my left eye and shift as I read across the page. I agree it is very annoying I thought is was just blurry from dryness and it would clear up when I put the drops in, no such luck. I thought it was maybe me and I just hadn't noticed them before. Thanks for confirming this for me. Any possibility that this is relative to the surgery? Not that we can change that now. Just curious.
Jeff

[Rebecca Petris]

You might want to check out www.vitreousfloaters.com, Dr. Geller's site. I don't really know anything at all about the treatment, but it does discuss LASIK floaters a bit.

[mary kenny badami]

Hi, Jeff --

Here's a link to a thread on the D'Eyealogues bulletin board where several post-Lasik patients discuss their problems with floaters.

http://www.lasermyeye.org/forums/sho...light=Floaters

You'll see that in the last post on that thread, Millard S reports having tried to solve his floater problems via a bilateral procedure known as "vitrectomy" (= removal/replacement of the jelly-like substance inside the eyes). Unfortunately, he then suffered a consequence of vitrectomy -- especially for middle-aged and older patients -- namely, premature development of cataracts in both eyes < e.g., not a GOOD treatment option, in my opinion! > .

Personally, I also have more floaters after Lasik surgery. However, I had a pre-disposing condition called "lattice degeneration," and I was 59 when I had the Lasik surgery, so my theory is that I might have developed floaters anyway, eventually.

For younger people and those without pre-disposing conditions, I am more suspicious about a causal connection between Lasik and floaters. One theory is that the high pressure of the suction ring when the "flap" is being cut/created may be responsible for new floaters.

If you spend more time over on D'Eyealogues, a search on the word "floaters" brought links to 22 threads.

Hope this helps!
mary

[mary kenny badami]

Following up on Rebecca's post, above . . .

When I was looking for information about possible laser treatments to "break up" intrusive floaters,
I found (at that time) just two doctors in the U.S. who claimed to do so.

One was Dr. Geller in Fort Myers, Florida, for whom Rebecca already gave a link.
The other was Dr. Karickhoff in Falls Church, Virginia, whose weblink is:
http://www.eyefloaters.com/surgeon.cfm

Because I decided not to pursue such treatment, I can't offer first-hand endorsement of either doctor,
but I found both websites useful in helping me to understand what floaters are and why they occur.

[homes]

i've had a floater pre-lasik but it became much more evident after surgery. i have manged to dodge it most of the time by avoiding looking at certain angles, and with dry eye any other complication becomes secondary.

[20/20_Hindsight]

I have them

I never had a floater before Lasik. Didn't even know about them or what one was. After Lasik, I have a ton. Very, very annoying.

My "second opinion" doctor mentioned the high pressure in the eye due to the suction ring as being highly suspect...

The surgeon's office said it was because I had just turned 40 right after the surgery. (I'd believe that if they came on gradually, not overnight)

[Jeff]

I had some floaters before the surgery as well but not to this degree. I at first thought maybe I hadn't noticed it as bad due to the glasses (my denial). I finally came to the conclusion that it must be a result of the surgery since that is when it became so apparent. I am in my mid 40's also. I have the feeling that if I pose the question to my surgeon I will get the same kind of
condensending response, "You are getting older and this is very typical for someone your age" (his denial ). Kind of like the response I got when I asked about the dry eyes "you had dry eyes before the surgery and your schirmmer test verifys that you are back to base as far as dryness is concerned and you are really not that bad off". ( I should learn to just listen and behave according to what they feel I guess) I would like to know then that if I had dry eyes before surgery why then would you do the surgery knowing this. It sure would be nice if they realized we are not the village idiots they think we are and could at least sympathize with the situation instead of trying to sweep it under the carpet. We are all people in this world together.
It is like the elephant in the room that we can not talk about. "how are your eyes doing today"? "Oh They are every bit as perfect as you say they are". Sorry for the anger I am tired of the lack of respect reguarding Dr's and my personnal well being. I have been dealing with many different Dr.s for the last 4 years for various medical problems and I have come to the conclusion that I don't know anything about how I "really" feel. Thanks for letting me vent, this is not like me at all, but I do feel better. It's nice to be heard. Thanks to all, for your help and understanding and especially for not telling me that I had all these things before I was ever even born.

[20/20_Hindsight]

Jeff, I think that many people here find that it is the norm for the surgeon to minimize the patient's complaints. Either they just don't get it, or they don't want to get it. The Snellen chart is a great example. It doesn't matter if you see 3 of every letter on the 20/30 line, you're still seeing the line!

I had severe dry eye going into Lasik, and it was written down and underlined on my intake sheet. I also have an autoimmune disorder. None of these issues caused anyone to even hesitate for a second. No Schirmers was ever done on me prior to surgery. I was so ignorant going into that surgery, and it never occurred to me that I, as a patient, had to educate myself -- I thought that was what the doctor was for. I was told I was a perfect candidate and I believe them. I trusted the doctor.

Now, all that has changed. With a loss of career and daily eye struggles 5 years later, I am much wiser.

[Gaye]

Venting

Hello Jeff - we have all been there, so don't feel alone. It does feel good to vent. The doctor I was seeing kept telling me that my vision was 'within normal limits', so everything was okay. Unfortunately, my vision was so blurred that I couldn't see well enough to drive. Too bad we can't find a way to make them see through OUR eyes. Once we figured out part of the problem (dry eye) and he put me on Restasis, I had questions about it. When I asked him about the effectiveness in patients with punctal plugs, he started yelling at me and asked where I had heard such a ridiculous thing. I handed him the patient information leaflet that came with it. It said so right there. He said it was total nonsense. Needless to say, I never went back to him. To this day I have wanted to write him a letter and really Vent, but I am still so angry, that I won't be able to be civil. But I am going to do it eventually because if I don't, it will eat at me forever.

[Jeff]

Gaye,
I try to remember these words when I talk with my Dr.s

"A man whose mind is changed against his will, is of the same opinion still"

"Dont try to teach a pig to sing, it wastes your time and annoys the pig"

Thanks to all for the understanding and compassion just thought I would share some humor as well.
Someday we need to rent a large facility and get together, I'm game.
Jeff

[rhohltjr]

Dry Eyes and floaters.

i've had a floater pre-lasik but it became much more evident after surgery. i have manged to dodge it most of the time by avoiding looking at certain angles, and with dry eye any other complication becomes secondary.

I had floaters before Lasik. Both eyes had "posterior vitrial detachments"
which gave me the humongous floaters in each eye. I have not noticed
more floaters since Lasik, perhaps because I have ignored or tried to ignore
them as much as possible. Lasik Dry eye has helped me forget about those
floaters. How I wish I only had floaters for eye troubles now .

I also have had doctors tell me to just shut up and accept my fate(floater wise that is). RHJ

[Jeff]

Hi rhohltjr,

If only we would just shut up and accept OUR fate. I am not going away how about you?
Jeff