What Are Floaters?

“Floaters” refer to the dark shapes that some people notice floating across their field of vision. It’s hard to look directly at floaters, but you’ll see them float slowly across your eye when you stop moving your eyes. They often occur naturally due to fibers in the vitreous, which connect the back of your eye to your retina, pulling away and clumping together.
 
People who have had cataract surgery in Columbia, SC, are at an increased risk of developing floaters. You may have had them before and just begun noticing them once your vision became clearer, or you may have developed posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) after surgery due to a shifting vitreous. In rare cases, floaters may be due to a retinal tear that occurred during your cataract surgery. Retinal tears can lead to retinal detachment, so it’s important to report any floaters to your doctor at a Columbia eye center following your surgery.
 
How to Treat Floaters

If you’re noticing floaters after your cataract surgery, there are a couple of different treatments that your doctor may suggest. A doctor will administer a dilated eye exam to determine the cause. If your floaters are happening due to natural factors of PVD, treatment from a Columbia eye center is usually not required. If they’re severely affecting your vision, a doctor may recommend a vitrectomy to remove the vitreous from your eye.
 
If you recently underwent cataract surgery in Columbia, SC, and are now seeing floaters, talk to your eye doctor at The Eye Center and see what your options are.