There are multiple medications to treat eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy (diabetic eye disease), age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusions, eye inflammation, and other retinal problems. These drugs are injected into the eye and their main objective is to stop vision loss.

Most of these medications are anti-VEGF. Anti-VEGF medications block the growth of abnormal veins in the back of the eye that would otherwise leak fluid between the layers of the retina and cause vision loss. Age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy are the main diseases that produce these abnormal veins.

The anti-VEGF that we have in the market are Eyelia (aflibercept), Lucentis (ranibizumab) and Avastin (bevacizumab).

There is a tiny implant (OZURDEX) that slowly releases corticosteroid medication over time without the need for monthly injections. It dissolves naturally over time and does not need to be removed. This implant is approved to treat 3 conditions in adults: 1) diabetic macular edema (DME), 2) swelling of the macula following retinal vein occlusion, and 3) noninfectious uveitis (an inflammatory disease of the eye) affecting the back of the eye.

The application of these medications is an outpatient procedure that can be performed in a specific area of the office. Before the procedure, anesthetic and antiseptic drops for the eye will be applied and the surface of the face will be carefully cleaned to avoid an infection. Afterwards, an eyelid speculum is placed and injected into the sclera (the white part of the eye) with a very small needle that causes minimal discomfort. Usually, you do not see the needle. You may need several injections for several months depending on the severity of your eye problem.

All medications can have side effects and it is very important to understand the benefits and risks that you may have with any treatment. The benefits of intraocular medications are clear and have been proven scientifically for many years, including stopping the progression of the eye disease and delaying vision loss. The risks inherent to the injection are extremely low. The most concerning of these risks would be an infection, but this can be properly controlled if detected early by a retina specialist.