Wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), diabetic maculopathy, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vein occlusions all respond well to injections of antiVEGF or steroid medications into the eye (intravitreal injections).
Early Treatment of These Retinal Disorders Increases Success Rates Significantly.
Symptoms That May Require Intravitreal Injection Treatment
Wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) including polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV)
Diabetic eye disease
Retinal vein occlusion
What is Intravitreal Injection Therapy?
Intravitreal InjectionAn intravitreal injection is the injection of a medication into the eye with a very fine needle. This allows for medication to be delivered directly into the eye for maximum benefit. It can be done in the clinic or as a day surgery procedure. Admission into a hospital is not necessary. The injections are not painful as eyedrops are used to numb the eye before injections.
Intravitreal injection therapy is now the gold standard treatment for a range of blinding retinal diseases that were previously untreatable.
There are now several approved and effective medications to choose from. Frequently used antiVEGF medications are Lucentis (Ranibizumab, Eylea (Afllibercept) and the newest medication, Vabysmo (Farimab). Sustained release steroids (Ozurdex) are also often used.
Ozurdex implant floats in the eye, releasing medication over several months.Intravitreal Injection Consultation Process
Detailed consultation
Confirmation of diagnosis
Treatment is done
Why Choose Dr. Nikolle Tan as Your Specialist for Intravitreal Injection Therapy?
FAQs
No special preparation is necessary. You do not need to fast, and overnight admission to the hospital is also not usually needed.
You should let your doctor know if you have had any recent change in your health condition e.g. recent stroke, heart attack, peptic ulcer disease/gastrointestinal bleeding, unstable blood pressure, or recent eye infection. If you had unusual symptoms after your previous injection, you should also inform your doctor.
During the procedure, your eye will be numbed with eye drops. The injection is done with a very fine needle so the sensation will be minimal.
As it is a clinic or “day procedure”, no overnight admission is necessary and you may go home after the injection.
Near-normal activities may resume the next day. However, you should keep the area around the eye clean. Activities that expose the eye to possible contamination (e.g. swimming) should be avoided for about a week after the injection.
Mild eye discomfort or grittiness after the procedure may occasionally occur. This is usually due to the antiseptic solution used to clean the eye before the injection. Occasionally, superficial bruising may occur, resulting in some eye redness. This usually resolves in a few days and requires no extra treatments.
It is not uncommon to see increased some shadows or round objects drifting about in your field of vision. This is because some air may inadvertently be injected into the eye together with the drug. Floaters due to these air bubbles will disappear over a few days.
If there are unusual or significant symptoms after the injection, be sure to inform the clinic so you can be monitored more closely.
The eye a day after intravitreal injection. Apart from basic hygiene and avoidance of swimming for a short period, no special care is usually needed.