Vitreous Floaters

Mr Robert Henderson BSc MBBS MD FRCOphth · Consultant Vitreoretinal Surgeon, Moorfields Eye Hospital & GOSH

Longstanding floaters can make reading, driving or screen work frustrating. Mr Henderson offers a careful assessment and a balanced discussion of monitoring and treatment. Sudden new floaters, flashes or a shadow in your vision need urgent eye assessment.

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At a Glance

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New floatersAlways needs assessment

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Surgery (severe cases)Vitrectomy

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Most casesBenign, monitored

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LocationMoorfields Eye Hospital

🚨 Seek urgent assessment if you notice: a sudden large shower of new floaters, new flashing lights, or a curtain or shadow in your vision. These may indicate a retinal tear or detachment requiring same-day treatment.

What Are Floaters?

Understanding Vitreous Floaters

Floaters are shadows cast on the retina by condensations or opacities within the vitreous gel — the clear jelly that fills the eye. They appear as spots, threads, cobwebs, or rings that drift across the visual field, particularly noticeable against bright backgrounds such as a clear sky or white page.

The most common cause is a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) — a normal age-related process in which the vitreous gel separates from the retinal surface, usually occurring in people over 50. The separation creates a ring-shaped condensation (Weiss ring) that can cause a prominent floater.

Most floaters caused by PVD are harmless. The brain gradually learns to ignore them, and for most patients they become less noticeable over several months.

Vitreous floaters and posterior vitreous detachment

Vitreous opacity and vitritis on fundus examination

Dense vitreous opacity causing significant visual disturbance

When Floaters Require Treatment

Severe or Symptomatic Floaters

A minority of patients have floaters that are sufficiently large, dense, or persistent that they cause significant and ongoing visual impairment. In these cases, vitrectomy surgery can be considered.

Vitrectomy removes the vitreous gel and its contents — including the floaters — and replaces it with a clear saline solution. In experienced hands it is highly effective at eliminating floaters. The risks of surgery must be carefully weighed against the impact of the floaters on quality of life.

“Surgery for floaters is not undertaken lightly — it carries small but real risks including cataract acceleration and retinal detachment. It is reserved for patients with genuinely significant and persistent visual disability.”

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

What to expect

Your Journey from Symptoms to Solution

Urgent or Routine Assessment

New or sudden floaters warrant same-day assessment to exclude a retinal tear. Chronic floaters can be assessed at a routine appointment.

Honest Advice

Not all floaters need treatment. Mr Henderson gives you a clear, honest assessment of whether surgery is warranted — and what realistic improvement to expect.

Vitrectomy if Indicated

Minimally invasive vitrectomy at Moorfields — the most effective treatment for significant floaters. Performed personally by Mr Henderson as a day case.

Recovery & Follow-up

Recovery and the degree of improvement vary between patients. Follow-up is structured and personal throughout your recovery.

I have had floaters for years — do I need to worry?

Longstanding floaters that have been stable and unchanged for months or years are almost always benign. However, any sudden change — new floaters, an increase in number, new flashing lights, or a shadow in the vision — warrants prompt assessment to exclude a retinal problem.

Will my floaters go away on their own?

Many floaters become less noticeable over time as the brain adapts and the condensations within the vitreous shift to the periphery. They rarely disappear entirely, but most patients find them much less intrusive after six to twelve months. Surgery is not usually recommended unless they remain persistently disabling.

What is the risk of retinal detachment with a PVD?

At the time of a PVD, there is approximately a 10-15% risk that a retinal tear has formed. This is why assessment within 24-48 hours of a symptomatic PVD is important — if a tear is found, it can be treated with laser in the clinic before a detachment develops. After a clear dilated examination, the risk of subsequent detachment is low but not zero, and you should remain vigilant for new symptoms.

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Making a decision about surgery

Your consultation will cover the potential benefits, risks of complications, alternatives and recovery. The likely result depends on your diagnosis, the health of your eye and any previous treatment. An assessment does not commit you to an operation.

Arrange a Consultation

Discuss your symptoms, ask questions and understand your options before deciding on treatment.

To arrange an assessment for floaters, please contact the practice secretaries:

07762 112552 or 07974 015691 · moorfields.rhenderson@nhs.net

Or use the contact form on this website.

Mr Robert Henderson BSc MBBS MD FRCOphth is a Consultant Vitreoretinal Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Clinical Lead for Ophthalmology at GOSH. He holds an Honorary Associate Professorship at UCL-GOSH Institute of Child Health.