Intravitreal Injections Need an Expert and Experienced Hand

Intravitreal injection is a shot of medicine placed directly into the vitreous cavity (a jelly-like substance) inside the eye. This nearly painless procedure helps treat many serious retinal conditions associated with vision loss, by administering medications such as:

  • Anti-VEGF (anti-vascular endothelial growth factor) medicines: To treat diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions, and macular degeneration
  • Steroids: To treat inflammation inside the eyes
  • Anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal medications: To treat infections

How are Intravitreal Injections Administered?

The retina specialists at Empire Retina take about 10 to 15 minutes for this procedure wherein the patients feel pressure, with little or no pain during the injection. The entire process is fairly simple:

  1. At the doctor’s office, you will sit comfortably in a reclining exam chair
  2. Eye drops or ointment will be placed into your eye to provide anesthesia
  3. After a few minutes, your eye will be cleaned with an antiseptic solution
  4. Next, the shot of medicine will be carefully injected into the eye where you may feel slight pressure, but no pain
  5. Your eye is washed off with a mild saline solution. And that’s it, you are done!

What to Expect After the Injection?

Intravitreal Injections

Severe complications are rarely seen with these injections. The most common symptoms reported by the patients are mild discomfort and irritation for a few hours. However, if you feel any eye pain, decreased vision, increased sensitivity to light, or increased floaters after the first day, you should immediately contact your retina specialist.

The schedule for injections and the time between treatments depends on the specific disease of every patient. Our retina specialists will work closely with you to achieve the best results while minimizing the number of treatments as much as possible. At Empire Retina Consultants, a premier retina practice, we work with the utmost dedication and compassion.