Q: I am a 54 years old man who has recently started getting flashes of light when darting the eyes from one side to the other. At the same time I have noticed an increase in floater material. The floaters are so large and thick that they cause blurring of vision by 50% in the affected eye. The doctor said that I am suffering from posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) with a small bleeder. He recommended no strenuous physical activities for a few weeks but offered no other solutions. The blurriness is so aggravating that I have resorted to wearing a patch over the eye so that I don't see it. I cannot understand having this condition for the rest of my life. Is there any treatment? Can lasers help? How about a vitrectomy surgery? Are there any major complications from this surgery or laser treatment?

A:Vitreous floater is generally harmless is more noticeable when you look at bright light or against bright background and if so will never go away. You may be myopic and this is more common in myopics and gets slightly worse with age. That is why local ophthalmologist does not offer any treatment.

However floater like yours may be associated with tear in the retina as it was associated with retinal haemorrhage. This tear may cause retinal detachment and may affect vision seriously if you did not get it corrected in time.

More over this tear if in periphery of retina may be difficult to detect even by ophthalmologist if not examined properly. You should get it checked again either by same or different ophthalmologist. If tear in the retina is detected, LASER will be helpful and may prevent detachment. Vitrectomy just for floaters will cause more harm than good as it has it's own complications like cataract, etc.