Search
Close this search box.

Vitreous detachment & floaters

The vitreous is a gel, made mostly of collagen fibers, that fills the part of the eye behind the lens and in front of the retina. Unless there’s a problem, the vitreous is transparent and lets light pass through it, on to the retina (the part of the eye that converts light into information for the brain that enables you to see).

As you age, the gel starts to become less homogenous – collagen fibers tend to clump together. These look like shadows or ‘floaters’ under certain light conditions; patients often describe them as ‘patches’, ‘strands’ and even ‘small flies’.

The vitreous is contained inside a membrane – much like air is held inside a balloon. The vitreous ‘balloon’ is inflated inside the eye, and it’s anchored to various points inside the eye.

Floaters

Floaters are usually harmless, and are more common in people aged over 50 years or in those with myopia (short sightedness). Unless lots appear at once, or they are associated with flashes of light (see retinal tear and retinal detachment), they aren’t dangerous, but they can be bothersome. 

Floaters explained

Floaters can be surgically removed by surgery in which the vitreous is removed entirely and replaced with a clear saline solution (a procedure called vitrectomy), but this increases the risk of developing cataracts early. Therefore, the operation is only performed if the floaters are massive and very central, and strongly interfere with reading or writing.

Posterior vitreous detachment

As people age – and this will happen to everyone, eventually – the vitreous starts to shrink (like a balloon) over a period of a few days to several weeks. This usually happens when people are aged 40–60 years old, although in the case of myopes (short-sighted people), this process can occur much earlier. Normally, this (completely natural part of aging) has no adverse effect on the eye, but during this period, there’s a risk that the shrinking vitreous might pull on the retina, and create a retinal tear. If the tear permits fluid to enter the retina, this can go on to cause what’s called a retinal detachment – which is an ophthalmic emergency needing immediate treatment.  Just before a retinal detachment takes place, people tend to see flashing lights in the affected eye, and often see an abundance of floaters.

How to recognize a retinal tear

As long as you see flashing lights, the posterior vitreal detachment is still ongoing. While this is happening, we will examine your retina at regular intervals to be sure there is no retinal tear.

In between our ophthalmological inspections, you should be vigilant to changes in your vision in the affected eye. Proceed as follows:

If you see flashing lights in your right eye, close the other (left) eye. Now look at an object and move your hands to the outstretched arms on the outside of your field of vision. Do you see your fingers out of the corner of your eye? Repeat the test with the other eye. The fields of vision of the individual eyes should be similar.

Retinal tear explained

  • Perform this check every 1–2 days. If you notice any of the following changes, contact us on the same day or (if we are not available for holidays or weekends) at a hospital emergency room
  • During the self-test, your field of vision appears restricted.
  • If you see a change like a “black curtain” at the edge of your field of vision.
  • There are suddenly many floaters/strands/black ‘flies’ in your field of vision.
  • The sight of your eye changes suddenly.
  • The frequency of lightning suddenly increases.

 

Last, but not least

Remember: vitreal detachment is a natural process. Everybody experiences it in the course of their life and with only a few eyes go on to have a retinal tear. However, if this does occur, we can perform a laser treatment and “weld” the crack. But these tests are an important precautionary measure.

PREVIOUS
Intravitreal Injections (IVT)
PREVIOUS
NEXT
Macular Hole, Epiretinal Membrane
NEXT

The ELZA Institute

Search
Close this search box.
EN | DE | PT
.
.
Augeninstitut ELZA
4.8
Based on 109 reviews
powered by Google
mike
mike
09:02 04 Jan 23
Overall as a 50 year old, who wanted to continue to avoid wearing glasses and/or contact lenses, my goal was 100%... achieved with ELZA and Dr. Hafezi. I greatly appreciated the overall approach by Dr. Hafezi and his friendly and competent team in reviewing my vision at the start and following a comprehensive eye exam- the explanations of my options. For me I chose PRK in one eye for a monovision solution to correct short sightedness which was becoming more prevalent in night driving and sports such as skiing and cycling. PRK heals slowly but the outcome is worth the wait- and the cost- you use your eyes every waking moment- and for me I cannot see any reason not to pursue better vision with the ELZA team! A great quality of life enhancement!read more
Zuzana Fecko
Zuzana Fecko
21:48 31 Oct 22
Thank you so much, Dr. Torres and prof. Hafezi. 26 years I was only “dreaming” about the eye surgery due to possible... complications. I was worried ..Thank you for encouraging me to make a decision and thank you for your professionalism, explanations and great work!I wish you all the best, lots of success and only happy patients!read more
Serena Fazio
Serena Fazio
11:15 06 Mar 22
I have been to the ELZA clinic to have surgery for my miopy, as my eyes were rejecting the contacts and I was tired of... wearing glasses. From the first preliminary visit, to the actual surgery and post-surgery care Dr. Hafezi and all his collaborators have been extremely professional, considerate and helpful. All the steps of the (very short!) surgery were thoroughly explained to me in order to be as calm as possible, together with the medication plan and precautions to be aware of so that my eyes could heal in the best way possible. By following their exact instructions, the healing process has been very successful and smooth, and after about one week I was able to see perfectly. I absolutely recommend this team and their expertise!read more
Robin A
Robin A
11:43 16 Feb 22
Top experts and professional team. Highly recommended
Thunder Shiviah
Thunder Shiviah
14:05 23 Nov 21
After some research on local options I decided to go with ELZA since it stood out as the best. The operation and the... post-operation recovery went extremely smooth (something I was worried about with PRK). Now my vision is much better than I had hoped and I have no side effects such as dry eye or night vision problems. Thank you!read more
Thomas S.
Thomas S.
09:37 07 Jul 21
My left eye had to be operated on because of a cataract. As I had an Artiflex lens implanted a few years ago, it had to... be removed first before a modern lens could be implanted to correct the cataract. Prof. Hafezi treated me in an very competent and friendly manner. I am very happy with the result.read more
Selma A. Rahim
Selma A. Rahim
19:45 02 Jul 21
Dr. Hafezi.. the KING OF CXL🤴
Gianluca Ricci
Gianluca Ricci
12:46 10 Apr 21
Great team and service!
rehaneyecare
rehaneyecare
05:36 08 Apr 21
Excellent surgeon
Steven H.A
Steven H.A
16:13 11 Jan 21
Prof. F. Hafezi s expertise is enormous and he has a very pleasant and calm nature which gives the patient... security.Thank youread more
Online Commande
Online Commande
09:19 05 Dec 20
Totally creepy, very arrogant Prof.He just want your money.It may explain, why this Prof. is not in the center of the... city of Zürich and why he has been thrown away from University of Geneva.read more
Elena Churilova
Elena Churilova
10:06 17 Nov 20
At the moment, 3 months have passed since the moment I made laser vision correction in this clinic. and I can say that... I am happy that I chose this particular clinic and Prof. F. Hafezi. The entire staff of the clinic is very friendly, treats patients with sympathy and patience if they are nervous before surgery (my big gratitude to Aida Alili for all support and patience). The doctor Hafezi and other doctors of the clinic are very professional and ready to explain to you as many times as you need. I can only recommend!read more
Michele Aggiato
Michele Aggiato
18:17 10 Jan 20
The day I had Prof Hafezi checking my keratoconus I knew I was finally in the right place after years of searching for... a good ophthalmologist. Prof Hafezi recommended a surgery due to a drastic degeneration of my cornea. The surgery was performed by himself with the assistance of Dr Rodriguez, one more collaborator of Prof Hafezi’s team who got my full trust.read more
Ashley Faulkes
Ashley Faulkes
15:30 21 Mar 16
Professor Hafezi and the team at the ELZA Institute have done an amazing job of creating a first class eye clinic, with... cutting edge technology and support. I went there for a dry eye issue and other issues with my prescription, and they were easily able to help me and put me on the road to better vision! High recommend them to anyone in the Zurich/Aargau area.read more
More reviews
js_loader
Augeninstitut ELZA
4.8
Based on 109 reviews
powered by Google
js_loader