Posterior vitreous detachment

The vitreous is a gel-like substance that fills most of the interior of the eye. Prior to birth, blood vessels course through it in order for the front structures of the eye to form properly. Thereafter, the vitreous serves no known purpose. The vitreous is composed of about 90% water and 10% proteins. Changes to these proteins over time cause it to become increasingly liquefied over time, leading to symptoms of floaters, small dark specks of varying sizes and shapes that seem to be influenced by movement of the head or eyes.

A posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) occurs when the vitreous has become sufficiently liquefied such that the back face of the vitreous that used to be adherent to the retina (which is located on inner aspect of the back wall of the eyeball) starts to separate from the retina. This is a natural process typically that occurs with age. By the age of 60, about 25% of eyes will have developed a PVD, and by 70 about 2/3 of eyes will have done so. Blunt trauma to the eye or eye surgery may cause a PVD as well.

Patients usually notice a PVD as a sudden onset of new floaters. Additionally, flashes of light indicating pulling upon the retina can be noted.

Sometimes, a PVD can result in a retinal tear, which in turn could cause a retinal detachment. The symptoms of a PVD are very similar to that of a torn retina or early retinal detachment; therefore, it is important that the retina be examined promptly with a dilated examination.

Typically, no treatment is indicated for a PVD in the absence of a tear or detachment of the retina. Over time, most patients notice floaters less prominently. However, a few patients are bothered by persistent floaters. In such cases, laser or a surgery called a vitrectomy can be considered as treatment for sy

COVID-19 Update

Retina Centers of Washington COVID-19 Safety Protocol

Dear Valued Patients and Friends,

We are truly grateful for the love and support you’ve provided us over the past few months as we navigated through the pandemic. With your continued support, we have been able to stay open, through this entire pandemic, to treat our patients' essential eye care needs.

The safety of our patients, and our staff members, is our top priority; therefore, we have implemented safety protocols set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

Here are some of our new safety procedures that are currently in place for when you visit our office(s).

Prior to Your Appointment:

· You will be pre-screened over the phone when scheduling your appointment.

· If you have symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, we ask that you call and reschedule your appointment.

· If you have been exposed to anyone with the virus, we ask that you call and reschedule your appointment.

· We will minimize the number of people in the practice (please come alone unless there is a true need for someone to accompany you).

· We request that anyone accompanying you to wait safely in their car, unless it is truly necessary for them to come into your appointment with you. We truly appreciate your cooperation on this.

Once You arrive:

· We are requiring all patients to arrive wearing a mask (we will provide one if needed), and that it is properly worn through the entire visit.

· We will check your temperature upon your arrival.

· We request that patients use hand sanitizer upon arrival and departure of our office.

· We have reduced the number of chairs in the waiting area to respect physical distance protocol.

· All magazines and brochures have been removed.

Staff and Strict Cleaning Protocols:

· We complete daily prescreening for COVID symptoms for Staff, and Doctors.

· All Staff members will be using PPE and wearing masks at all times, including our providers. A face shield and gloves will be worn as needed.

· Our staff regularly performs surface cleaning of frequently touched areas throughout the day.

· Our waiting room, exam rooms, testing equipment, and other common areas are cleaned and sterilized after every patient appointment.

We thank you for your patience with all these changes, and for your cooperation as we continue to safely navigate through the pandemic. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 301-279-9124 and we will be glad to help you!