Vitreomacular Traction Treatment, Causes, and Symptoms

1. Vitreomacular Traction Treatment, Causes, and Symptoms The vitreous is the clear, jelly-like substance that is responsible for filling the center of your eye. This is connected to the macula and retina using millions of fibers. The macular is what is responsible for detailed central vision. Vitreomacular traction occurs when the vitreous of the eye pulls on the macula, causing damage to your macula. The vitreous starts to shrink, pulling away from the macula. Eventually the vitreous detaches completely from the retina, which is known as posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). This is a normal part of the aging process and not something to be overly concerned about. In some cases, the vitreous isn't successful at completely detaching with some staying stuck to your macula. When this happens, it constantly pulls on the macula. This is known as vitreomacular traction. If you ignore it, it can cause serious problems, including scar tissue, swimming, and holes. It can pull the retina out of position, which is known as retinal detachment. Vitreomacular traction is when the vitreous doesn't successfully detach from the retina, which is part of the normal aging process. Some factors can increase your risk of developing this eye condition, such as age-related macular degeneration, which is common with aging and is when your macula starts to deteriorate. Diabetic retinopathy also puts you in a higher risk bracket to develop vitreomacular traction. If you are very near-sighted, you will find your risk also increases. Vitreomacular degeneration does lead to symptoms, which you may be able to identify, often it changes your vision. You may notice your vision sharpness has decreased or you experience distortions when you look at straight lines, objects may also look smaller than they are. Often patients experience flashes of light in the eye. It is not uncommon for the symptoms to develop slowly over time and they can mimic other eye conditions, which is why you need to have your eyes checked by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. If vitreomacular traction is suspected, the ophthalmologist will look inside the eye to confirm their diagnosis using ultrasound, fluorescein angiography, or optical coherence tomography (oct). Once they have confirmed that you have vitreomacular traction, they will recommend a treatment. There are four treatment options available, based on the severity of your condition. They may recommend monitoring, medication, pneumatic vitreolysis, or vitrectomy surgery. Vitrectomy surgery is usually offered in severe cases. This is when the ophthalmologist makes a small cut in your eye and removes the vitreous carefully from the retina. They will repair any damage to the retina before filling your eye with saline or gas, helping the eye retain its shape. They will recommend monitoring your condition if it doesn't cause vision changes. In some cases, medication has proven successful. It dissolves the fibers that keep the vitreous stuck to the macular. It is given as a single injection into the center of the eye. If this fails, they may recommend vitreomacular traction surgery.

2. Pneumatic vitreolysis is a procedure where the ophthalmologist injects a gas bubble into the eye. The bubble breaks the bond between the vitreous and the macular. You look down several times an hour over days to ensure the bubble stays in the right position. Sometimes the eye doctor may recommend pneumatic vitreolysis with medication to separate the vitreous gel. About us:mahi muqit is a leading consultant ophthalmologist, cataract, and vitreoretinal surgeon at two private clinics in london, united kingdom. He provides patients with superior service and support with a range of surgical procedures to meet their eyesight requirements. He has built up a solid reputation for his eye services in the london area as an expert eye doctor and surgeon offering surgical retina, medical retina, and complex cataract surgery. He also offers surgery to patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy. Mahi muqit is a member of the royal college of ophthalmologists, a member of the british and eire association of vitreoretinal surgeons, and the uk and ireland society of cataract and refractive visit https://www.retinasurgeon.uk.com/. surgeons. To find out more,