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  • Eye floaters treatment: the options, what they cost, and when to act fast

Eye floaters treatment: the options, what they cost, and when to act fast

Written By
Updated on October 11, 2026

We’ll connect you with partner clinics, free of charge: we’re paid for referrals by providers, not by you. Laser eye surgery is a medical procedure and, as with any surgical procedure, carries potential risks and side effects. Results vary and not everyone will be suitable for treatment. You should seek advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional before deciding whether treatment is suitable for you.

Most floaters need no treatment. For the few that do, UK clinics charge £1,000 to £1,500 for a laser session and £4,995 to £11,500 or more per eye for surgery. Laser vitreolysis breaks a large floater into smaller pieces, and two clinics sell a package of up to two or three sessions for £1,924 to £2,500 or more per eye. A vitrectomy removes the gel inside the eye. NICE says laser vitreolysis should only be used in research, because the evidence on it is inadequate in quality and quantity. New floaters or flashes need a same-day check for a retinal tear before anything else.

  • Laser, one session: £1,000 to £1,500
  • Vitrectomy: £4,995 to £11,500 or more per eye
  • Consultation: £200 to £650
  • NHS: tears yes; floaters case by case

Same day. The NHS says to ask for an urgent optician appointment or get help from NHS 111 if floaters or flashes appear for the first time or suddenly increase, a dark curtain or shadow moves across your vision, your vision blurs, your eye hurts, or the symptoms start after eye surgery or an eye injury.

Why. Of people seen by an eye specialist with sudden floaters or flashes, 14% have a retinal tear, according to a 2009 review in JAMA. A tear found early can be sealed with laser or freezing treatment before it becomes a detachment. RNIB and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists advise an eye examination on the same day or within 24 hours of new or worsening symptoms.

Then. Nothing else on this page applies until a tear has been ruled out.

Watch: What floaters are, and how laser and vitrectomy differ. 1 min 24 s.

Read the transcript

Eye floaters, explained.

Floaters are shadows cast by small clumps of material inside the eye.

They can look like cobwebs, rings or tiny dots, and they’re most noticeable against a bright background.

They’re often linked to ageing, as the gel inside the eye changes. Most need no treatment, but if you notice new floaters, flashes, or loss of vision, see an eye specialist.

There are two main treatments. YAG laser vitreolysis uses a laser to break a large floater into smaller pieces.

It’s an outpatient treatment, and clinics quote 1 to 3 sessions. NICE says it should only be used in research for now.

A vitrectomy is surgery to remove the gel inside the eye, and replace it with a sterile solution.

It’s done under local anaesthetic, and carries more risk than the laser, including cataract.

On the NHS, a retinal tear is treated. Funding to remove floaters depends on where you live.

Privately, a laser session costs around £1,000 to £1,500.

A vitrectomy costs from about £5,000 per eye, and much more at some clinics. Ask what the price includes.

Compare quotes from clinics near you.

Three options, including doing nothing

Once a tear has been ruled out, the choice is to live with the floaters, have laser, or have surgery.

Option What it involves What the evidence says Cost per eye
Wait and let the brain adapt A dilated eye check to rule out a tear, then no treatment. The NHS says floaters often become less noticeable as you get used to them. RNIB and the Royal College say floaters fade from notice as the gel settles and the brain learns to ignore them, over a few weeks for some people and several months for others. Nothing, or the cost of an eye examination
YAG laser vitreolysis Pupil dilated, numbing drops and a contact lens on the eye, then laser pulses break a floater into smaller pieces. Clinics quote 1 to 3 sessions. Two small randomised trials. In the larger, of 52 eyes, patients rated their symptoms 54% better on average, against 9% with a sham laser, and three eyes had retinal tears found 1.4 to 2.8 years later. NICE says research only. £1,000 to £1,500 a session
Packages of up to 2 or 3 sessions £1,924 to £2,500 or more
Vitrectomy Surgery under local anaesthetic removes the gel inside the eye through small incisions and replaces it with saline. Most people go home the same day. In a European study of 581 eyes, 92.4% of patients who answered were satisfied. 2.4% of eyes had a retinal detachment, and 48.6% of eyes with their own lens needed cataract surgery, at a median of 16 months. £4,995 to £11,500 or more

Once a tear has been ruled out, you can wait, have laser, or have surgery.

  • Wait and let the brain adapt What it involves: A dilated eye check to rule out a tear, then no treatment. The NHS says floaters often become less noticeable as you get used to them. What the evidence says: RNIB and the Royal College say floaters fade from notice as the gel settles and the brain learns to ignore them, over a few weeks for some people and several months for others. Cost per eye: Nothing, or the cost of an eye examination
  • YAG laser vitreolysis What it involves: Pupil dilated, numbing drops and a contact lens on the eye, then laser pulses break a floater into smaller pieces. Clinics quote 1 to 3 sessions. What the evidence says: Two small randomised trials. In the larger, of 52 eyes, patients rated their symptoms 54% better on average, against 9% with a sham laser, and three eyes had retinal tears found 1.4 to 2.8 years later. NICE says research only. Cost per eye: £1,000 to £1,500 a session
    Packages of up to 2 or 3 sessions £1,924 to £2,500 or more
  • Vitrectomy What it involves: Surgery under local anaesthetic removes the gel inside the eye through small incisions and replaces it with saline. Most people go home the same day. What the evidence says: In a European study of 581 eyes, 92.4% of patients who answered were satisfied. 2.4% of eyes had a retinal detachment, and 48.6% of eyes with their own lens needed cataract surgery, at a median of 16 months. Cost per eye: £4,995 to £11,500 or more

RNIB and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists say there is no medical treatment for posterior vitreous detachment, the usual cause of floaters, and no evidence that eye exercises, diet changes or vitamins help. Newmedica says surgery is the only proven treatment for floaters, and Bristol's NHS commissioners do not routinely fund eye drops or medicines for them.

Prices at ten UK clinics that treat floaters

Published prices, read from each clinic's own website on 11 October 2026. Per eye unless stated.

Clinic Laser vitreolysis, per eye Vitrectomy, per eye Consultation What the price includes
Blue Fin Vision (London, Essex, Hertfordshire) From £1,000 a session
1 to 3 sessions usual		 Not published £325 Imaging, treatment and aftercare between sessions. Ideal candidates are 45 or over with large, distinct floaters away from the retina and lens
Retina Surgery London (Prof Tom Williamson) £1,199 Not published £350, plus an OCT scan at £269 to £349 if needed and a £79 visual assessment From £1,897 for one eye and £3,096 for both, with the consultation and tests
LaserVision (Portsmouth) £1,500 first session
£750 each session after		 £6,750 £250 Prices for its own Portsmouth clinic. The page does not say whether the laser price is per eye
Centre for Sight £1,924 for up to 3 treatments £5,705 Included in the laser price The laser price covers assessment, treatment, follow-up and 24-hour support
The Retina Clinic London (Prof Paulo Stanga) £2,500 for up to 2 sessions From £11,500 (therapeutic refractive vitrectomy) £650, with all tests Prices are "as from" and confirmed after the consultation
The Medical Eye Clinic (Exeter) Not listed £4,995 £395 Surgery and one month's aftercare
Newmedica Not listed From £5,995
From £6,995 with cataract surgery		 Not published Appointments before and after surgery, and medication
Sapphire Eye Care (Windsor, Reading, Brighton, Southampton) Not published From £6,100
From £7,000 with cataract surgery		 £240, or £340 with an OCT scan Assessments, surgery, hospital fees and follow-up
Nuffield Health Bristol Not published Guide price £7,445 for any vitrectomy From £200 The guide price is £7,245 for treatment plus a consultation from £200, and covers pre-assessment, surgery and aftercare. Nuffield says it may recommend vitrectomy for severe floaters as a last resort
OCL Vision (London) Not published From £7,575 for vitreoretinal surgery From £360, plus two scans at £210 each One follow-up appointment and a treatment plan

Read from each clinic's own website on 11 October 2026. Per eye unless stated.

  • Blue Fin Vision (London, Essex, Hertfordshire) From £1,000 a session
    1 to 3 sessions usual     Vitrectomy, per eye: Not published Consultation: £325 What the price includes: Imaging, treatment and aftercare between sessions. Ideal candidates are 45 or over with large, distinct floaters away from the retina and lens
  • Retina Surgery London (Prof Tom Williamson) £1,199 Vitrectomy, per eye: Not published Consultation: £350, plus an OCT scan at £269 to £349 if needed and a £79 visual assessment What the price includes: From £1,897 for one eye and £3,096 for both, with the consultation and tests
  • LaserVision (Portsmouth) £1,500 first session
    £750 each session after     Vitrectomy, per eye: £6,750 Consultation: £250 What the price includes: Prices for its own Portsmouth clinic. The page does not say whether the laser price is per eye
  • Centre for Sight £1,924 for up to 3 treatments Vitrectomy, per eye: £5,705 Consultation: Included in the laser price What the price includes: The laser price covers assessment, treatment, follow-up and 24-hour support
  • The Retina Clinic London (Prof Paulo Stanga) £2,500 for up to 2 sessions Vitrectomy, per eye: From £11,500 (therapeutic refractive vitrectomy) Consultation: £650, with all tests What the price includes: Prices are "as from" and confirmed after the consultation
  • The Medical Eye Clinic (Exeter) Not listed Vitrectomy, per eye: £4,995 Consultation: £395 What the price includes: Surgery and one month's aftercare
  • Newmedica Not listed Vitrectomy, per eye: From £5,995
    From £6,995 with cataract surgery     Consultation: Not published What the price includes: Appointments before and after surgery, and medication
  • Sapphire Eye Care (Windsor, Reading, Brighton, Southampton) Not published Vitrectomy, per eye: From £6,100
    From £7,000 with cataract surgery     Consultation: £240, or £340 with an OCT scan What the price includes: Assessments, surgery, hospital fees and follow-up
  • Nuffield Health Bristol Not published Vitrectomy, per eye: Guide price £7,445 for any vitrectomy Consultation: From £200 What the price includes: The guide price is £7,245 for treatment plus a consultation from £200, and covers pre-assessment, surgery and aftercare. Nuffield says it may recommend vitrectomy for severe floaters as a last resort
  • OCL Vision (London) Not published Vitrectomy, per eye: From £7,575 for vitreoretinal surgery Consultation: From £360, plus two scans at £210 each What the price includes: One follow-up appointment and a treatment plan

Consultation and scan fees are extra unless stated. Prices change, so confirm with the clinic.

Read from each clinic's own website on 11 October 2026. Consultation and scan fees are extra unless stated. Nuffield and OCL Vision publish one price for vitrectomy whatever the reason for it. Optical Express, Optimax and Optegra list no floater treatment among their treatments and publish no price for one. Prices change, so confirm with the clinic before you book.

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What the evidence shows, and the risks

Laser vitreolysis has two small randomised trials. Vitrectomy for floaters has large case series and a survey of UK surgeons.

  • Symptom improvement after one laser session 54% against 9% with sham Average of patients' own ratings from 0 to 100%. Randomised trial of 52 eyes with Weiss ring floaters, 6 months. Shah and Heier, JAMA Ophthalmology, 2017
  • Retinal tears found later 3 eyes Among 35 trial patients seen again at about 2.3 years, found 1.4 to 2.8 years after the laser. Shah and Heier, 2020
  • Vision questionnaire score after laser +15 points NEI VFQ-25 score. Meta-analysis of 15 studies and 718 eyes, Ophthalmology Retina, 2026. Acuity unchanged. Certainty limited because 13 of the 15 studies were not randomised
  • Satisfied after vitrectomy 92.4% Of 476 patients who answered, in a study of 581 eyes. European VitreoRetinal Society, Eye, 2020
  • Retinal detachment after vitrectomy 2.4% Same European study. A 410-eye Canadian series, 2025, also found 2.4%, and 7.3% had any complication
  • Needed cataract surgery after vitrectomy 48.6% Of 173 eyes with their own lens, at a median of 16 months. Same European study

NICE reviewed the laser evidence in 2022 and found it inadequate in quality and quantity. Its guidance was renumbered HTG644 in January 2026 with the recommendations unchanged.

Worth knowing

  • NICE says laser vitreolysis should only be used in research, by retinal specialists. The Royal College told NICE that safety data are limited, especially on cataract, raised eye pressure, retinal tears, bleeding, retinal detachment and uveitis
  • RNIB calls vitrectomy a major operation. In the European study, 48.6% of eyes that still had their natural lens needed cataract surgery afterwards
  • Floaters can get worse after laser. NICE's evidence review records three such cases in the trial's long-term follow-up

What they are. Clumps of collagen in the vitreous, the clear gel that fills the eye, which cast shadows on the retina. They show up most against a white wall or a clear sky.

Why they appear. Usually a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), when the gel comes away from the retina. RNIB says most people with PVD are over 50, but it can come in your 40s if you are short-sighted, have injured the eye or have had eye surgery. A 2017 study cites figures of PVD in up to 24% of people aged 50 to 59 and 87% of those aged 80 to 89.

The check. Drops widen the pupil over about 30 minutes, then the retina is examined with a bright light. Your pupils take about six hours, or until the next morning, to return to normal, and RNIB says not to drive until the drops wear off.

What happens next. About 10 to 15% of people with a PVD develop a retinal tear, according to RNIB. In the 2009 JAMA review, people first diagnosed with an uncomplicated PVD had a 3.4% chance of a tear within six weeks, which is why new or worse symptoms need another check. After that, the NHS says floaters often become less noticeable.

NHS. A retinal tear or detachment is treated on the NHS. Floaters alone depend on where you live. Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire’s policy, for example, lists vitrectomy, laser vitreolysis and eye drops for chronic floaters as not routinely commissioned, with funding only for clinically exceptional cases. In a 2024 survey of UK vitreoretinal surgeons, 53 of the 62 respondents who work in the NHS said they offer vitrectomy for floaters there, most of them only when the floaters have a significant effect on quality of life. One offered laser on the NHS. Ask your eye clinic.

Private medical insurance. Retina Surgery London lists Bupa, AXA-PPP, Vitality, WPA and Aviva, and says your insurer may not cover the full amount. Blue Fin Vision says insurance may cover consultations and scans, and that the laser is generally not covered. Ask your insurer in writing before you book.

Paying. The clinics above charge per session or per eye, so ask for the total for the number of sessions you are likely to need. Blue Fin Vision, Centre for Sight and LaserVision say they offer finance but publish no representative example for floater treatment. Ask for the APR, the lender and the total payable before you sign.

Questions people ask about floaters

Floaters usually stay in the eye, but they often become less noticeable. RNIB and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists say they fade from notice as the gel settles and the brain learns to ignore them, over a few weeks for some people and several months for others. NICE says floaters do not usually threaten vision and can be managed without treatment.

None is proven. Newmedica says surgery is the only proven treatment for floaters. RNIB and the Royal College say there is no evidence that diet changes or vitamins help with posterior vitreous detachment, the usual cause, and Bristol’s NHS commissioners do not routinely fund eye drops or medicines for floaters. The pineapple claim comes from a 2019 Taiwanese study with no comparison group, which McGill University’s Office for Science and Society called far from definitive.

NICE says the evidence on its safety and efficacy is inadequate in quality and quantity, and restricts it to research. Harms reported in NICE’s evidence review include retinal tears and detachment, raised eye pressure leading to glaucoma, cataract, bleeding in the retina, inflammation and worse floaters. The larger randomised trial found no retinal tears in the laser group at six months, then three by its follow-up at about 2.3 years.

Clinics quote one to three. Centre for Sight says most people need two, sometimes three. In the randomised trial everyone had one session, and 53% reported significant or complete improvement at six months. At about 2.3 years the figure was 50%.

A tear or detachment, yes. Floaters alone depend on where you live. Some areas, such as Bristol, do not routinely fund treatment, but in a 2024 survey 53 of the 62 vitreoretinal surgeons who answered and work in the NHS said they offer vitrectomy for floaters there, most of them only when set criteria are met. Ask at your eye clinic. Laser on the NHS is rare, and one surgeon in that survey offered it.

Newmedica says the operation takes 30 to 40 minutes under local anaesthetic, you go home the same day, and you use drops for about three to four weeks. Nuffield Health says to allow six to eight weeks to recover, with vision settling between six and 12 weeks. In the European study, 48.6% of eyes that still had their natural lens needed cataract surgery, at a median of 16 months.

Not reliably. We refer to laser and lens clinics, and the large ones publish no floater treatment. The clinics in the price table above publish floater prices, so contact them directly.

Related guides

Sources and how we checked the prices

Every price on this page was read from the clinic's own website on 11 October 2026. Clinical figures come from the sources below, each opened on the same day. Prices change, so confirm with the clinic before you book.

  1. NHS, Floaters and flashes in the eyes (opens in a new tab), reviewed 20 June 2023
  2. NHS, Detached retina (retinal detachment) (opens in a new tab), reviewed 4 August 2023
  3. NICE HTG644 (formerly IPG741), YAG laser vitreolysis for symptomatic vitreous floaters (opens in a new tab), 26 October 2022; renumbered January 2026
  4. NICE, interventional procedure overview and consultation comments for IPG741, including the Royal College of Ophthalmologists' comment (opens in a new tab), May and October 2022
  5. RNIB and Royal College of Ophthalmologists, Understanding posterior vitreous detachment (opens in a new tab), May 2023
Show all 26 sources Show fewer sources
  1. Shah and Heier, YAG laser vitreolysis vs sham YAG for symptomatic Weiss ring floaters, JAMA Ophthalmology 135(9) (opens in a new tab), 2017
  2. Shah and Heier, long-term follow-up of YAG vitreolysis for Weiss ring floaters, Ophthalmic Surgery, Lasers and Imaging Retina 51(2) (opens in a new tab), February 2020
  3. Alnajres et al., Nd:YAG laser vitreolysis for floaters, systematic review and meta-analysis, Ophthalmology Retina (opens in a new tab), online 31 July 2026
  4. European VitreoRetinal Society floaters study, Eye 34(5) (opens in a new tab), May 2020
  5. Karunatilake et al., vitrectomy for floaters in 410 eyes, International Journal of Retina and Vitreous (opens in a new tab), 6 May 2025
  6. Kirthi et al., Indications for floaterectomy: results of a national BEAVRS survey, Eye (opens in a new tab), 24 October 2025
  7. Hollands et al., acute-onset floaters and flashes and the risk of retinal tear, JAMA (opens in a new tab), 25 November 2009
  8. Bond-Taylor et al., posterior vitreous detachment and retinal tears, Clinical Ophthalmology (opens in a new tab), 2017
  9. NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB, Treatment for chronic vitreous floaters (opens in a new tab), adopted 1 February 2024
  10. McGill University Office for Science and Society, Pineapple for eye floaters (opens in a new tab), 11 December 2021
  11. Blue Fin Vision, YAG vitreolysis costs (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  12. Blue Fin Vision, YAG vitreolysis treatment page (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  13. Retina Surgery London, eye floater treatment (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  14. LaserVision, our pricing (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  15. Centre for Sight, vitreolysis laser treatment of floaters (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  16. The Retina Clinic London, prices (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  17. The Medical Eye Clinic, private fees (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  18. Newmedica, vitreous floaters (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  19. Sapphire Eye Care, our prices (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  20. Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, vitrectomy (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026
  21. OCL Vision, vitreoretinal surgery (opens in a new tab), 11 October 2026

Written By

William Amps is the lead writer at Lasik Eyes, where he covers laser eye surgery, lens replacement, cataract treatment and the UK clinics that provide them. He has spent years researching the private eye surgery market, comparing clinic prices, interpreting published outcome data and translating the jargon of refractive surgery into plain English for people weighing up whether it’s right for them.

His work on Lasik Eyes focuses on the questions patients actually ask: what the procedure really costs, how clinics differ, what the risks are and what the research says about long-term results. Every price, procedure and clinic review he writes is checked against the provider’s own published information and updated as the market changes.

His articles are intended to help you ask better questions at your consultation, not to replace the advice of a registered optometrist or ophthalmic surgeon.

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