Is Flying With Posterior Vitreous Detachment OK?
DEC 09, 2010
Question:
What does a diagnosis of posterior vitreous detachment mean? Does one have to be careful about traveling or taking a plane when this problem is happening?
Answer:
A posterior vitreous detachment is fundamentally an aging change in the eye. The vitreous gel in the eye liquifies and collapses as we age and separates from the back of the retina. When that occurs, we call that a posterior vitreous detachment, or PVD. The main concern about PVD is that it can be associated with retinal tears and/or retinal detachments. The typical symptoms may include floaters and flashers. A prompt dilated retinal exam by an ophthalmologist, will help to determine whether there are any retinal tears. There is no contraindication for traveling or flying after a PVD.