Medical Retina
A group of conditions affecting the retina which are treated with drops or injections, rather than an operation
What conditions does this include?
Age-related Macula Degeneration (Dry or Wet)
Diabetic Retinopathy or Macula Oedema
Retinal Vein Occlusion
Cystoid Macular Oedema (eg after cataract surgery)
Central Serous Retinopathy
Myopic Choroidal Neovascular Membrane
What do treatments involve?
The treatments are very much dependent on the underlying diagnosis. Generally fluid at the back at the eye (macula oedema) is treated with either drops or a course of injections.
In the case of wet macula degeneration or diabetic macular oedema, these are treated with injections into the eye, mainly with a hormone called anti-VEGF. There are a number of options available for this and this can be discussed at your consultation.
Are there any risks of eye (intravitreal) injections?
Intravitreal injections have been shown to be very effective for a number of conditions but any procedure inside the eye has a degree of risk. These include:
Visual loss due to an infection (1 in 2000 cases)
Damage to lens or the retina (less than 1 in 100 cases)
Temporary complications such as elevated pressure or inflammation inside the eye which is normally treated with extra drops
Mild discomfort or floaters after the injection