Retinal Injections

Age Related Macular Degeneration Injections

What is it?

Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak blood or fluid, leading to rapid vision loss compared to dry AMD. In the early 2000s, scientists developed drugs to address this issue by blocking a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Before these anti-VEGF drugs, severe vision loss or blindness was almost inevitable for people with wet AMD.

Since that time, anti-VEGF drugs revolutionized treatment by preserving sight in most wet AMD patients by doing injections directly into the eye. These medications can stabilize or even improve vision.

What does it do?

The most common treatment for slowing vision loss from wet AMD is anti-VEGF injections. These medications help prevent blood vessels in the back of your eye from bleeding and leaking. For most people with wet AMD, anti-VEGF injections are the primary or only treatment. Here’s what to expect during the procedure:

• Your doctor will numb your eye with medication.

• They will clean your eye to prevent infection.

• The anti-VEGF medication will be injected into your eye using a very fine needle.
  
  

Since anti-VEGF injections are effective for only a short time, repeated treatments are usually needed. Most people start with injections once a month. Over time, your doctor will determine how often you need injections to manage your vision and slow vision loss from AMD.

Diabetes retinal injections

What is it?

Eye injections are a common treatment for vision complications caused by diabetes, such as diabetic macular edema (DME) and advanced diabetic retinopathy. Without proper management, both conditions can lead to vision loss or blindness.

What does it do?

There are two main types of eye injections for diabetes: anti-VEGF drugs and corticosteroids.

Anti-VEGF drugs

Injections of anti-VEGF medications block the protein that can stimulate the growth of abnormal blood vessels. This helps prevent excess fluid from leaking into the retina and potentially improves your eyesight.

Most people with DME need several anti-VEGF injections over the course of a few months at first. Over time, you may be able to get them less frequently or potentially stop treatment, depending on your condition and symptoms.

However, some people will need to keep getting anti-VEGF injections throughout their lives to protect their vision.

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids are another medication used in eye injections for diabetes. These drugs reduce swelling in the macula, which can help give you clearer vision.
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BRVO retinal injections (retinal vein occlusion)

What is it?
Arteries and veins carry blood throughout your body, including your eyes. The retina in your eye has one main artery and one main vein. When a branch of the retinal vein becomes blocked, it’s called branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). A blocked vein causes blood and fluid to leak into the retina. This can lead to swelling in the macula, the part of the retina responsible for central vision. Without proper blood flow, nerve cells in the retina can die, resulting in further vision loss.

The most common symptom of BRVO is vision loss or blurry vision in part of the eye. This can happen suddenly or worsen over several hours or days. In some cases, you may lose all vision in the affected area suddenly. Doctors don’t always know what causes BRVO. In some cases, it happens when diseases thicken and harden the walls of your arteries. These arteries can press on nearby veins, leading to a blockage.

What does it do?
With branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), vision may worsen due to swelling in the macula. The main goal of treatment is to reduce the swelling and dry out the retina. This is typically achieved with medication or laser therapy. Your doctor may recommend treating BRVO with injections of medication directly into the eye. These medications, known as “anti-VEGF” drugs, help reduce macular swelling and can improve vision in about half of patients. However, since the swelling often returns once the medication wears off, regular injections are necessary to maintain the benefits.