New Laser Treatment Available For Vitreous Floaters, A Common And Potentially Debilitating Visual Problem
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PRURGENT
Irvine, California, February 26, 2008.
James H. Johnson, MD, of Orange Coast Laser Vision Center in Irvine, California is one of just three eye surgeons in the US specializing in the elimination of Vitreous Floaters with a laser. Floaters are common, and caused by clumped vitreous gel normally present in the eye. Floaters may appear as spots or shadowy clouds in the vision. Floaters are common, but some people have floaters that are debilitating. They cannot just “Learn to live with them”.
Dr. Johnson notes, “Vitreous floaters get very little discussion in our surgical training. The reality is that there are a lot of people that suffer from them on a daily basis. They are frustrated, depressed, and sometimes despondent because no one seems to take them seriously or offer any treatment options. I am surprised that there are just a few of us offering this treatment.”
Using the laser is a great opportunity to eliminate or at least greatly reduce these floaters from the central vision. The procedure is painless and can take from 10 to 45 minutes depending on the size, location, and density of the Floaters. The technology behind this treatment involves using a specially adapted, FDA-approved ophthalmic laser to concentrate light energy into a spot approximately 4 one-thousandths of a millimeter in diameter. The laser doesn’t break the floater in to smaller pieces as many people think. It actually evaporates the tissue and eliminates it completely. The process may take one or more treatment sessions and success may be defined as eliminating 80-95% of the floaters.
The YAG Laser technology used to treat these floaters is not new. Ophthalmologists have been using this laser for over 20 years to treat other, common conditions of the eye. The world literature for laser treatment of floaters is not extensive, but it shows that the procedure is safe with no loss of vision or retinal detachment from the procedure.
The process is a quite different from laser vision correction like LASIK where the treatment is controlled by a computer. Each laser shot is individually aimed. Dr Johnson adds, “I am not even sure if I can treat someone until I am at the laser microscope. Occasionally the floater will be too close to the delicate structures of the eye and it is unsafe to treat. It’s a disappointment for us both but it is always better to be safe. Each situation and floater is different. There is an art and skill in treating floaters and it also takes a lot of patience”.
Dr. Johnson adds, “It’s exciting and very rewarding to be on the forefront of a new treatment with thanks and gratitude from these patients who have otherwise been ignored by others in the profession.”
The Orange Coast Laser Vision Center in Irvine, CA is a refractive and laser surgery practice. Dr. James H. Johnson is a Diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology. He is one of just three ophthalmologists in the US specializing in the laser treatment of vitreous floaters.
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If you are interested in more information about this topic, Dr. Johnson can be reached at (949) 251-1497 or by cell phone at (949) 331-5653. The Fax number is (949) 251-1498. A website dedicated to this topic is at www.GotFloaters.com. Dr. Johnson can be reached at johnson[@]OCLaserVision.com
Contact: James Johnson, MD
Medical Director,
Orange Coast Laser Vision Center
Tel: (877) 487-4448 or (949) 251-1497
Cell: (949) 331-5653
Fax: (949) 251-1498
Email: johnson@OCLaserVision.com
www: http://www.GotFloaters.com
Keywords: Vitreous Floaters, Posterior Vitreous Detachment, PVD, YAG Laser, Laser Treatment of Floaters, vitrectomy, vitreous detachment, muscae volitantes, aging eye,
Website Link: http://www.OCLaserVision.com | 
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