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Laser treatment reduces eye floaters

Date:
July 20, 2017
Source:
The JAMA Network Journals
Summary:
Patients reported improvement in symptoms of eye floaters after treatment with a laser, according to a new study.
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Patients reported improvement in symptoms of eye floaters after treatment with a laser, according to a study published by JAMA Ophthalmology.

Floaters become more prevalent with age and although most patients grow accustomed to them, many find them bothersome, and they can worsen visual quality. Three management options exist for floaters: patient education and observation; surgery; and the laser procedure, YAG vitreolysis, of which there are limited published studies on its effectiveness for treating floaters.

Chirag P. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., and Jeffrey S. Heier, M.D., of the Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, randomly assigned 52 patients (52 eyes) to receive YAG laser vitreolysis (n = 36) in one session or a sham (placebo) laser treatment (control; n = 16).

Six months after treatment, the YAG group reported significantly greater improvement in self-reported floater-related visual disturbance (54 percent) compared with sham controls (9 percent). A total of 19 patients (53 percent) in the YAG laser group reported significantly or completely improved symptoms vs 0 individuals in the sham group. Several measures of quality of life also improved compared with those in the sham laser group, including general vision and independence. No differences in adverse events between groups were identified.

A limitation of the study was its small sample size and short follow-up period.

"Greater confidence in these outcomes may result from larger confirmatory studies of longer duration," the authors write.


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Materials provided by The JAMA Network Journals. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Chirag P. Shah, Jeffrey S. Heier. YAG Laser Vitreolysis vs Sham YAG Vitreolysis for Symptomatic Vitreous Floaters. JAMA Ophthalmology, 2017; DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2017.2388

Cite This Page:

The JAMA Network Journals. "Laser treatment reduces eye floaters." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 July 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170720142258.htm>.
The JAMA Network Journals. (2017, July 20). Laser treatment reduces eye floaters. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170720142258.htm
The JAMA Network Journals. "Laser treatment reduces eye floaters." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170720142258.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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