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The mysterious process of vitreous detachment: How aging affects your vision?
As we age, the vitreous body in the human eye undergoes a series of natural changes, including the process of detachment of the vitreous body from the retina. According to medical experts, aging is often accompanied by vitreous shedding, but this does not mean that all shedding processes are complete. When parts of the vitreous detach, leaving adhesions behind, this information can have a significant impact on vision.
When the vitreous body adheres strongly to the retina, it may cause tension on the retina, resulting in vision loss or deformation.
This phenomenon is called vitreomacular attachment (VMA), which may lead to more serious pathological conditions, such as vitreomacular traction (VMT), and may even cause eye diseases such as retinal holes or macular wrinkles, affecting vision. It can even lead to blindness. Among age-related eye diseases, diseases such as diabetic macular edema and retinal vein occlusion have important correlations with VMA.
Pathology Revealed
Liquefaction and collapse of the vitreous humor is a common process inside the eye. As this process proceeds, interconnected vesicles of fluid are formed. These fluid vesicles, if close to the retina, may lead to posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) that occurs in normal aging. Although PVD is a natural process, if the detachment of the vitreous body and the retina is incomplete, VMA will form, causing traction and pulling on the retina and triggering a series of pathological changes.
The size and intensity of the VMA determines various subsequent pathologies or symptoms.
Diagnostic methods
For the diagnosis of VMA, careful examination by an ophthalmologist or optometrist is crucial. With the development of imaging technology, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), the accuracy of diagnosing VMA has improved significantly.
Current status of treatment
Ocriplasmin, the first drug approved by the US FDA, was approved in October 2012. It is a biological drug targeting vitreomacular adhesion. Its mechanism of action is to dissolve the protein matrix that causes VMA, thereby releasing this abnormal attachment. For VMA patients with mild visual impairment, Ocriplasmin provides a non-invasive treatment option that was previously unimaginable.
Ocriplasmin's capabilities have been shown to increase the chance of VMA resolution while improving patients' vision.
For patients with severe vision loss, the traditional treatment method is still vitrectomy (PPV), which is a surgical operation. Although hundreds of thousands of operations are performed every year, there is still the risk of blindness and A series of complications, such as retinal detachment, retinal tears, etc. In addition, the data show that compared with surgery, the use of Ocriplasmin for the induction of pharmacological vitreous detachment can be achieved without the risks of surgery.
Future Outlook
As modern medicine advances, the emergence of non-surgical treatment options offers patients new hope. Chemically induced PVD may become a mainstream treatment for VMA, allowing this potential risk to be contained before it affects vision. Health and vision are crucial to people's quality of life, and this is an aspect that cannot be ignored in future ophthalmic research.
When faced with the reality of progressive vision loss, how do you view the impact of vitreous detachment on vision and possible future treatment options?
