floaters causing starburst after yag

Hello been on forum many times .still hunting answers.Been to seven Dr. they can not see any prob causing glare and starburst after yag. In daylight I can cut my eyes to the right then back to center I can seea haze of floaters moving across my vision . I use a penhole i see a floater over center of my eye.When I move my eye it moves out of the way.when this floater gets in front of lights at night it causes starbursting. And i can see a stationary  line a cross my eye that causes  star burst all of the time at night.When this floater gets over the lights it gets worse. why can my Dr. not see these floaters? How i get rid of this trash in my eye? Medicare did not pay for this yag surgery they said 3 weeks was to soon , will i have to pay for another yag?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

What you describe is not something that the Yag is likely to help. If you've seen 7 OPHTHALMOLOGISTS including at least one or two retina MDs then I can't help you either.

You can always see a neuroophthalmologist.

JCH MD

[Jared79]

The reason the doctors are unable to see your floaters that are very apparent to you is because they are likely extremely close to your retina.  When there isn't much room between the vitreous change and the back wall of the eye structure it is much more difficult to distinguish the "floater(s)" with any tool currently available.

Floaters that are further from the back of the eye can be seen , as any eye doctor who regularly examines eyes can tell you.  Sometimes you can see floaters readily, and sometimes you can't see anything.

Generally, the appearance of floaters is said to be the 'shadow' of the clump in the vitreous humor.  However, you seem to describe your floater as being in your direct central vision (fovea) which would further add credence to the theory yours are very close to the retina/back of the eye.  They very well could be in your central path, yet be undetectable from the front angle of the eye.  (Just think about the angle doctors have to look at the eye and that location.  You can then visualize how the more separation there is the more likely it would be to detect the presence of the 'floater'.)

At any rate,.. if the doctors can't see them -- then there isn't anything that can or will be done about it.  There are two treatments for floaters.

1) Vitrectomy --complete removal of the vitreous humor and replacement with a saline like solution.  (Very prone to complications/infections and generally not something that would be performed without an absolute positive need. )  Which in your case any surgeon in a proper frame of mind would refuse to do this on the subjective reports of the patient without any objective evidence.  Make sense?  

2) Using a specialized YAG laser floaters can be broken apart, and thus they will fall to the bottom of the eye, out of your field of view.  (Problem here is the doctors have to readily and easily be able to see the floaters to 'zap' them with the laser.)  In your case they aren't easily seen.

The second approach is only done by a few specialists in the entire world, and many eye doctors wouldn't even know of the procedure.  (I imagine many would ,due to this, recommend against it.)

I'm sorry I don't know any magical formula to get rid of floaters or make your symptoms any better.  I have many floaters myself, and even some that stay in my central vision -- which does effect my functional vision.  The only thing you can hope for is that with time the floaters will shift in the vitreous humor... which they eventually will.  Floaters do not stay in the same location permanently.. hopefully you don't develop any more bothersome floaters in this location and as time progresses it will get better.

A common reason for centralized floaters is a PVD,.. this usually occurs in people over the age of 40 or 50 IIRC.  

Good luck,

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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