Posterior Vitreous Detachment

Written by Susan Bernstein, Kristin Mitchell
Medically Reviewed by Brian S. Boxer Wachler, MD on February 20, 2025
5 min read

Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) is an eye condition that naturally happens with age, when gel that usually fills your eyeball detaches from your retina. If you see blurry shadows, also called floaters, or flashes of light, you could have PVD.

As you get older, a gel inside your eye — called vitreous gel — can liquefy over time. It can slowly detach (pull away) from your retina. That's the nerve layer in the back of your eye that helps you focus on the images you see.

Vision problems caused by PVD usually get better over a few weeks. In fact, many people don't have any symptoms, so they may never know they had it.

But for other people, PVD can cause health issues, such as bleeding and tears. If left untreated, it can lead to permanent vision loss .

Your vitreous gel is mostly made of water, collagen, and other substances. For much of your life, it's right up against your retina at the back of your eye, near your optic nerve. Tiny fibers attach the gel to your retina.

As you get older, the collagen and other components begin to break down, creating small pockets of liquid within the gel. The tiny fibers that hold it to your retina can also break, causing the gel to pull away from your retina and optic nerve. As a result, you can get a tear in your retina or a hole in your eye nerve.

Most people get PVD at age 50 or older, and it's very common after 80. It happens to men and women equally.

If you're nearsighted, have had cataract surgery, or had some kind of trauma to your eyes, you could be at a higher risk for PVD.

It doesn't happen in all cases, but PVD can cause changes to your eyesight.

You may start to notice tiny dark spots that move around in your vision. They can look like flying insects, hairs, or cobwebs. These are called floaters, and they're the most common symptom of PVD.

It's normal to have mild floaters from time to time. But if you suddenly notice lots of them, it could be PVD.

Other signs are flashes of light and darkness around the edges of your vision. These could be a sign of a tear or detachment in your retina, which is often a medical emergency.

You may first notice symptoms in only one eye, but you'll likely get it in the other eye within a year.

You should get an eye exam every year even if you don't have symptoms or wear glasses or contact lenses. It can help your doctor spot problems such as PVD early on, and that can help protect your vision.

Your doctor may use drops to make your pupils (the holes in the center of your irises) bigger and use a slit-lamp test to look for the signs of PVD. This is done with a microscope that looks through the front of your eye. It can also show if PVD has caused bleeding, a torn retina, or something else that could harm your eyesight.

Your doctor also may use other tests to make sure the gel hasn't pulled away from your retina. These include:

  • Optical coherence tomography (OCT): A 3D scan of the inside of your eye
  • Ocular ultrasound. A test that uses sound waves to show the inside of your eye

The floaters or flashes usually get better within three months, but you should have another dilated eye test three months after your diagnosis to make sure there isn't any new damage to your retina.

If you still have severe floaters after a few months, your doctor may give you the option to use a laser to reduce the floaters or have surgery to take out the vitreous gel and clear the floaters.

If you have a retina tear, it can be fixed with laser surgery or cryopexy (which freezes the tear).

As posterior vitreous detachment is a natural part of getting older, there is no way to prevent the condition. Talking to your eye doctor as soon as you notice symptoms can help prevent complications such as a retinal tear.

What are the four stages of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD)?

  • In stage I, the vitreous is partially separated from the macula (the part of the retina at the back of your eye) but remains attached to the fovea (the center of the macula). 
  • The vitreous is partially separated from the fovea but still fully attached to the foveola (the center of the fovea) in stage II. 
  • In stage III, your vitreous is detached from your macula but still attached to your optic nerve. 
  • In complete PVD or stage IV, your vitreous is completely detached from both your macula and optic nerve.

Does posterior vitreous detachment go away​?

The condition doesn't go away; however, the symptoms lessen over time.

Will PVD floaters go away?

In most cases, the flashes and floaters that come with PVD will be less noticeable in about three months. Rarely, floaters may last longer, requiring surgery.

How long does posterior vitreous detachment last?

Symptoms of PVD tend to last one to three months, after which floaters get better and flashes aren't noticeable.

How serious is posterior vitreous detachment? 

PVD isn't painful and many people have no symptoms or vision loss. Less than 15% of people with vitreous degeneration will have a complication.

Does having a PVD increase your risk of retina tear and retina detachment? 

Yes. Due to the gel pulling away from the retina, there is an increased risk of retinal tear, which can lead to retinal detachment. After a PVD, if you notice more floaters, flashing lights, and/or a dark curtain moving across the edges of your vision, go to the eye doctor immediately.