Report and Pix By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin

KUALA LUMPUR, 3 June 2016 –  The Department of Ophthalmology of The National University of Malaysia (UKM) has scored two major firsts recently in treating eye disorders in Malaysia.

The Department of Ophthalmology at the  Tuanku Muhriz Chancellor Hospital is the first teaching hospital in the country join the National Eye Database (NED) in May.

NED is a service developed by the Ministry of Health as one way of systematically creating a database for research and treatment of disorders and diseases of the eye.

NED gathers data and information on the incidence and distribution, evaluation of risk factors and treatment of eye diseases such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and contact lens-related corneal ulcers.

In another development, the HCTM is the first teaching hospital in the country to introduce a YAG Laser Vitreolysis to its line-up of cutting edge eye-care equipment.

Ophthalmologist Prof Dr Mae-Lynn Catherine Bastion said the YAG Laser allows ophthalmologists to perform treatment of the anterior and posterior segments of the eye, without surgery.

It is designed to treat floaters – small pieces of debris that float in the eye’s vitreous humour, causing shadows that float across the field of vision.

The vitreous humour is gelatinous substance that fills the chamber of the eye between the retina and the lens.

YAG Laser Vitreolysis is a specialised equipment that uses nanosecond pulses of laser light to vaporize or ‘zap’ vitreous opacities and sever vitreous strands, converting these molecules into a gas in a minimally invasive manner.

“So now non-surgical treatment of floaters in selected individuals  is now possible locally,” said Profesor Bastion at a press conference, here today to announce the acquisition.

Floaters are symptoms of degenerative vitreous syndrome.

This can happen as the vitreous humour, which is normally perfectly transparent, degenerates over time, losing its form.

Sometimes, collagen fibres bind together, forming opaque clumps and knots, which cast shadows on the retina, leading to vision troubled by what looks like spots, strings and cobwebs; which are known as floaters.

While they are bothersome, floaters typically resolve within a few months of appearance, but they can persist for much longer.

“The condition is very common in adults, with nearly everyone having floaters by the age of 70. Only 20% of floaters are abnormal or harmful and more likely to occur in those with diabetic retinopathy, suffering from retinal tears or retinal detachment, or are extremely nearsighted,” she explained.

Additionally, those who have had surgery for the removal of cataracts, or have had other inflammatory diseases are also at higher risk of this condition.

These cases need urgent examination and appropriate treatment.

Some 80% of floaters are “harmless” and would not cause blindness but they do interfere with vision and are troublesome.

With the use of this laser, ophthalmologists at the HCTM can now manage floaters which are impeding their patient’s quality of life, managing a condition that was once rarely treated, and providing hope for patients who have long-term floaters that do not resolve on their own over time.