Lucentis, Eylea, and avastin are established treatments for neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The wet form of macular degeneration is caused by abnormal growth of blood vessels in the retina that leak blood and cause damage to light-sensitive cells. Lucentis blocks abnormal blood vessel growth and leakage.
There are also other medications such as Ozurdex and Jetrea that Omni uses when indicated for other retinal conditions.
Benefits of Lucentis, Eylea, and Avastin
With these injections of anti-VEGF medication, your vision may become less blurred or wavy. You may find it easier to recognize the faces of friends and family members. In clinical studies, many who had these injections periodically experienced a significant improvement of at least 3 more lines (15 letters) on the eye chart.
What to expect on treatment day
These drugs are injected into the eye once a month, or in some cases more or less often. This is done in our office. Before your treatment, the area around your eye will be treated with an antibiotic and your eye will be numbed with anesthetic drops.
After your injection, you may have some redness at the site of the injection. Your doctor may give you antibiotic drops to prevent infection.
Realistic expectations
AMD is a chronic condition and there is no cure. These drugs are used to manage the condition.
In clinical trials, serious side effects were rare. These included eye infection, detached retina, and cataract. Other uncommon serious side effects included inflammation inside the eye and increased eye pressure.
The most common eye-related side effects were red eye, eye pain, small specks in vision, the feeling that something is in the eye, and increased tears. The most common non–eye-related side effects were high blood pressure, nose and throat infection, and headache.
With an injection, there’s always a small risk of infection. You should notify your doctor if your eye becomes red, sensitive to light, painful, or if you notice a change in vision.
