Posterior Vitreous Detachment Treatment
JUL 27, 2011
Question:
Recently I noticed floaters and flashes in my left eye and the eye specialist I went to said I had vitreous detachment. He recommended me to let him "weld" the detachment with a laser. Is this the right procedure and is it safe?
Answer:
Flashes and floaters can be a sign of a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), but also could be sign of a retinal tear or retinal detachment. If there is no tear or detachment and no other weak areas of the retina, such as lattice degeneration, then observation is indicated. If there was a tear or lattice degeneration, then laser could be indicated. No treatment is needed for the PVD alone. The PVD is a normal aging change in the eye. The vitreous itself does not need to be welded.