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Intravitreal (Eye) Injection Treatments

Injection treatments are sometimes necessary to ensure optimal vision with diseases such as "wet" or exudative macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and with retinal vein occlusions. We ensure a relaxing and pleasant experience using excellent anesthesia techniques for maximum comfort.

What are the reasons people may need injections?

Injection tratments have been proven to help improve vision in cases of swelling of the retina, and even to help reverse damage that diabetes has caused in the eye. If your diabetes is advanced enough to require injections, we will work together to ensure you have the proper treatment.

Benefits of Injections:

  • Visual Gains — when macular edema is treated patients may regain vision

  • Regression of Disease — Many studies have shown the regression (rolling back) of diabetic disease in the eye as a result of regular injections

  • Combination Therapy — Injections can be used in conjunction with laser treatments in order to enhance control of diabetic eye disease

What are the steps of an injection?

  • The eye is numbed and cleaned thoroughly

  • The injection is given - this takes seconds and is as comfortable as possible to the patient

  • The eye is again cleaned and washed

What should I expect during an injection procedure?

Injections are extremely common in retina specialist's office, and we take care to maximize your comfort. The actual injection takes seconds, and most people ask when we are giving the injection after they have had it done because of how well we are able to numb the eye.

How long is the healing process?

There can be some irritation (a sandy feeling) for a few hours to 1-2 days after the procedure because the betadine (similar to iodine) we use to clean the surface and avoid infection can cause irritation. This can also lead to increased tear production/tearing of the eye. We must clean the eye with betadine as an infection can be devastating and cause you to lose vision; the risk of infection without this cleaning process is high. To minimize these side effects, we recommend preservative free artificial tears which can be obtained in any pharmacy over the counter. Dryer eyes tend to feel more irritated, much like dry skin can feel irritated in the winter months.

Otherwise, there is no real healing. You can return to work the next day, and we only ask that you avoid touching or washing the eye or getting water in it for 1-2 days after injection to make sure no bacteria get in the eye.