WHAT IS AN INTRAVITREAL INJECTION?

Intravitreal injections are used to administer medications to treat a variety of retinal conditions including:

• Age-related macular degeneration
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Macular edema
• Retinal vein occlusion
• Other eye conditions that cause loss of vision due to abnormal growth of blood vessels in the back of the eye

These diseases may cause loss of vision and should be treated as soon as possible.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Your doctor will perform the procedure in office. While the patient is lying in a comfortable position, your doctor will first place several local anesthetic drops in the eye, and then inject a small amount of anesthesia on the outside of your eye in the spot where the injection is to be performed. Following this, your doctor will clean around the outside of the eye with an antiseptic solution. After allowing a few minutes for the cleaning solution and anesthetic to take effect, medication will be injected through the white part of your eye. Common medications that are injected include Avastin, Lucentis, Eylea and Triesence. Your doctor will discuss with you which specific medication is recommended for your condition and how it will help your vision.

WILL IT HURT?

In almost all cases the anesthesia eliminates any sensation of pain. Some patients may feel pressure with the injection. They may also notice blurry or graying vision for 5 minutes after the injection. On very rare occasions, a very quick pinching sensation or pain may be felt.

HOW MANY INJECTIONS WILL I NEED?

The number of treatments your eye will require is unique and will depend on your eye health. It is possible that you will require regular treatments to maintain the beneficial effect of the medicine and preserve vision. Many times the disease process is haulted. In some instances you may even partially recover vision as a response to the medicine over time. Dr. Dyer will work very closely with you to achieve maximum results while minimizing the number of treatments as much as possible specific to your needs.