Laser effective in removing eye 'floaters'

Hue Eye Center Director Pae Hee-cheol shows the Nd:YAG laser, the equipment that treats vitreous floaters, at his clinic in Incheon, west of Seoul. The center is the only hospital equipped with the machine in Korea. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

• Published Apr 26, 2016 7:10 PM KST
• Updated Apr 26, 2016 7:10 PM KST

Hue Eye Center is the only eye clinic in Korea to treat the annoying symptoms

By Lee Kyung-min

An office worker, surnamed Kim, visited an eye doctor because for what seemed to be a number of tiny transparent objects floating within his vision whenever he looks at the computer screen.

As his job requires more than 10 hours a day staring at monitors to conduct online research, those “worm-like things” blocking his vision were a nuisance that caused him insomnia and anxiety.

Similarly, a high school student, surnamed Lee, has been experiencing the annoying phenomenon for the past couple of years, unable to concentrate when studying.

What frustrated Kim and Lee even more was that they could not find how to cure their symptoms.

A number of doctors told them that the symptoms were not detrimental to their eyes and they would have to get used to seeing those things as well as ignoring them.

Then they found an online community with some 8,880 members suffering from exactly the same condition, and that was how they discovered the Hue Eye Center in Incheon, west of Seoul, the only ophthalmic clinic in Korea that treats such a condition with an Nd:YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet) laser.

What are the “floaters” and why do they appear?

According to Hue Eye Center Director Pae Hee-cheol, the chief ophthalmologist there, what Kim and Lee are experiencing is called “vitreous floaters,” a condition in which people see what may look like tiny, transparent worms.

They typically disappear whenever people try to get a closer look, only to reappear as soon as they shift their focus.

Such objects occur when the vitreous humor shrinks and changes its formation, causing a small piece of the retina, the light sensitive tissue at the back of our eye, to be pulled off.

“Normally, the vitreous gel is anchored to the back of the eye. But it gets thinner, shrinks, and pulls away from the inside surface of the eye,” Pae said.

“Such detached parts contain bits of tissue, red blood cells, or clumps of protein, thus not transparent, and they cast a shadow on part of the light going into the retina, making people feel like there are some objects in their field of vision,” he added.

Floaters are particularly more noticeable when people see bright surfaces, blank computer screens, snow, or clear skies, because the consistency of the background makes them easier to be distinguished, he noted.

“Most of the time, the brain learns to ignore them. But abnormally numerous or large ‘worm-like things’ not only interfere with vision but also signal signs of a more serious condition,” he said.

Selective Laser Floaterlysis

Selective Laser Floaterlysis, a specialized treatment for vitreous floaters offered by the Hue Eye Center, removes “the detached part” of the retina by two measures using the Nd:YAG laser ― either vaporizing them after target-applied laser excision; or making them move as far away as possible from the macula, the central part the of eye responsible for high-resolution vision, so that the objects will not be seen so much.

Pae purchased the laser in 2013 and remains the only ophthalmologist to have the equipment in Korea.

While most ophthalmic clinics in Korea are reluctant to spend up to 50 million won to purchase the machine to only treat “vitreous floaters,” Pae feels passionate that he is helping patients who desire improvement, however minimal it may be.

“Only a small number of patients suffer from vitreous floaters, and the level of improvement they feel is relatively small, compared to LASIK (laser-assisted in-situ keratomileusis) or LASEK (laser-assisted sub-epithelial keratectomy). However, I believe as a doctor, I should help patients who want the treatment,” he said.

“Most of my patients have been disappointed by many doctors, even though their daily lives are significantly ruined by the floaters that never go away. I am happy when my patients thank me for treating the symptoms which no other doctors take seriously,” he added.

The laser treatment is particularly effective for older people, Pae added.

Some 5 percent of patients aged 35 or below say their conditions improved, and those aged between 35 and 45 show varied results, requiring further treatment.

However, most of those aged 45 or older say their condition significantly improved following the treatment, according to Pae.

“While our treatment does not guarantee a 100-percent cure rate, most of the patients opt for the treatment, saying they are willing to do anything to have their vision improved from their current condition. We are seeking to help them,” he said.

According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, some 170,000 people visited hospitals in Korea for vitreous floaters in 2012.