In 2010, I was 33 years old and building my writing career. Then I started seeing flashes of light — like fireworks in the corners of my eyes — whenever I turned my head. Worried, I made an appointment with my eye doctor and received a terrifying diagnosis.
Both my eyes were experiencing a Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD). The vitreous gel — the jelly-like substance in my eyeballs — was pulling away from my retina, causing the flashes. If the gel pulled too hard, it could create a retinal tear or detachment resulting in partial or complete blindness.
Fortunately, the vitreous gel pulled cleanly away from my retinas, leaving them intact. But there were consequences.
Condensed collagen fibers from the vitreous gel cast dark shadows on my retina, creating long, stringy “floaters” that filled my vision. A large, cobweb eye floater or “vitreous veil” hung over my left eye like a second eyelid. Every time I moved my eyes, the floaters would move, making them impossible to ignore.
Overnight, I went from waking up eager to start the day to refusing to get out of bed and face a world covered in cobwebs.
Writing became torture as I stared through stringy lines covering my computer screen. Driving terrified me whenever a floater blocked my vision. Even looking at the sky felt like squinting through a dirty window.
Specialists told me I’d stop seeing floaters once they settled. They said I’d “get used to” living with them.
It didn’t happen. I started wearing dark glasses and stopped going out except at night.
Finding the Best Eye Surgeon for Floaters: Dr. Jack Sipperley
Eventually, I found support from the Degenerative Vitreous Community (aka “Floater Talk”), an online forum for people suffering from eye floaters.
I learned my condition can happen to people who are nearsighted like me. The elongated shape of my eyeballs that caused my myopia also stretched my retina, making it thinner and more fragile. My vitreous gel was also prone to liquification, making it pull away from my retina and experience a PVD earlier than non-myopic people.
I also learned of a treatment called a vitrectomy, a surgical procedure where an eye surgeon makes incisions in the eyeball and removes the vitreous gel, replacing it with a saline solution. This physically removes the floaters, restoring clear sight to the eyes.
Today, vitrectomies for floaters are considered safer, thanks to narrower instruments that let surgeons make smaller, sutureless incisions, allowing for increased surgical effectiveness and fewer complications. But back in the 2010s, many surgeons I contacted reserved vitrectomies for severe cases due to risks like bleeding, infection, and retinal detachment.
Fortunately, Floater Talk told me of Dr. Jack Sipperley, MD, a highly experienced retina specialist who specializes in vitrectomies and provides care at Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center, not far from where I live. Patients spoke highly of Dr. Sipperley and many flew great distances to be treated by him.
My Vitrectomy Recovery Timeline: When Did My Vision Get Clear?
My first consultation with Dr. Sipperley went well. He listened to my concerns and took scans of my eyes. I was surprised by how casual he was about performing a vitrectomy once tests determined it could help my condition.
He also explained the risks of the procedure — including the possibility of early cataract formation. Since I was already at risk for cataracts due to my nearsightedness, I was okay with this.
Surgery for my left eye was scheduled for September 13, 2012. I came to my appointment worried and nervous, but Dr. Sipperley’s professionalism (and the IV sedation) put me at ease.
I stayed in a state of semi-consciousness as Dr. Sipperley placed a local anesthetic block around my eye to numb the area and minimize movement. I could see the shadows of his instruments enter my eye, creating bright lights as gas bubbles and visual debris cast black spots against my retina.
None of this scared me. Instead, I felt elation as Sipperley removed the floaters and let me know my eye tissues were in good shape.
They placed a patch over my eye but briefly removed it post-surgery, letting me see a white wall that was free from eye floaters. I was ecstatic.
Recovery took weeks. My left eye was bloodshot and light sensitive, but this went away as I took prescription eye drops for preventing infection and inflammation. Most of the pain in my eye and face faded after the first night, but I did feel a twinge in my eyeball when I moved it and saw a small line on the outside corner of my left eye. These also gradually faded.
I couldn’t make sudden head movements as my eye healed. However, I didn’t have to sleep face-down like vitrectomy patients who get gas or oil bubbles inserted into their eyes to treat retinal detachments or macular holes.
After a few weeks, I could wear my contact lens and regain clear vision. The difference was astonishing. Even with floaters still in my right eye, the world looked cleaner and brighter. I could write, read, and drive with more confidence.
And the blue sky never looked better.
A Better Life After Vitrectomy: Getting Rid of Eye Floaters for Good
I got a vitrectomy for my right eye later, and the quality of my vision increased considerably. Since then, I’ve gone sightseeing in Germany, gazed at waterfalls in Hawaii, and enjoyed the view from the top of Mount Hood in Oregon.
I did get cataracts in my forties, but Barnett Dulaney successfully removed them and I now see better than ever.
Living with eye floaters for years has increased my appreciation for my sight. Every time I look up at the sky, I think how lucky I was to have found Dr. Sipperley, and encourage anyone suffering from eye floaters to look into a vitrectomy.
This information is based on my personal experience with a vitrectomy and is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your ophthalmologist or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.