Are floaters normal after a vitrectomy?

What's normal

AAO's retinal detachment guidance notes that floaters and flashing lights may continue for weeks after surgery. Blood cells, pigment, and small bits of debris released during the operation can drift inside the eye and cast shadows until they clear.

Small gas bubbles that split off the main bubble also look like floaters near the end of the absorption period, and they tend to move in a distinctly bouncy, jiggly way when you move your head.

Floaters usually become less noticeable as the eye clears and as your brain learns to ignore them.

Common in the first weeks; a sudden increase at any time is a red flag, not a normal stage.

When it stops being normal

A sudden shower of many new floaters is a different matter. NEI lists a lot of new floaters, flashes of light, or a dark shadow or curtain in your field of vision as signs of a medical emergency, and AAO gives the same red flags. After retinal surgery those can mean a new tear or a re-detachment, so call your retina surgeon immediately rather than waiting for your next appointment.