Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the exudative or “wet” form, develops when newly formed blood vessels under the retina begin to spread under the macula. Newly formed blood vessels tend to be very fragile and often leak.
Leaking fluid lifts the macula at the back of the eye and causes scarring and permanent damage to the light-sensitive cells of the retina. This in turn causes dark or blurry spots in the central vision.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to fully cure from the wet form of age-related macular degeneration. Early diagnosis can slow the progression of the disease and stop vision loss.
An intraocular injection is made into the vitreous body of the eye. Through injection, the drug is introduced into the eye, in close proximity to the retina. The drug helps to stop the formation of new blood vessels by blocking the growth signal that the body sends to form new blood vessels. Intraocular injections are used as the main treatment for all stages of the wet form of macular degeneration.
Currently, wet macular degeneration is mainly treated with the following medications:
After the pupil is dilated, the procedure will take about 15 minutes. The patient will lie in a comfortable position and numbing drops are put into the eyes. The eyes and eyelids will be cleaned with an antiseptic containing iodine. The eye is fixed using a special instrument and medicine is injected into the vitreous body of the eye. You may feel slight pressure on your eye during the procedure, but no pain.
After the injection, the doctor will check your eye. Before you leave the clinic, an antibiotic ointment will be applied to your eye. You may feel rubbing in the eye and bleeding is also possible. No need to worry, it will pass soon. You may see floaters, but they will get smaller and disappear within a couple of weeks.
To maintain the effect of the drug, the procedure may need to be repeated after a few weeks. A partial recovery of vision is possible when the blood vessels become smaller and the fluid under the retina is absorbed, allowing cell function to recover.
Our doctors at Kreutzwald Eye Center have a lot of experience in treating age-related macular degeneration using intraocular injections.
