Anti VEGF

What are Anti-VEGF Treatments?

Anti-VEGF treatments involve the injection of a specific group of medicines known as anti-VEGF drugs into the eye to stabilize or improve vision in patients with certain eye conditions.

How do Anti-VEGF treatments work?

Anti-VEGF medicines block the action of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is a protein produced by your body that stimulates the growth of new blood vessels. When injected into the eye, the anti-VEGF medication inhibits the abnormal growth of blood vessels in the back of the eye which may leak resulting in swelling that can harm your vision.

Indications for Anti-VEGF Treatments

Anti-VEGF treatments can be used to treat the following eye conditions:

Diabetic macular oedema
Wet age-related macular degeneration
Macular oedema due to retinal vein occlusion
Myopic choroidal neovascularisation

Types of Anti-VEGF Treatments

The main anti-VEGF treatments which are considered safe and effective for treatment of retinal disease are:

Avastin
Lucentis
Eylea

Preparation for Anti-VEGF Treatment

You must inform your doctor about:

Medications or vitamins you are currently taking as certain medications may interact with the anti-VEGF drugs and cause eye problems
Allergies to medications
Health conditions such as uncontrolled hypertension or eye infections

Anti-VEGF Treatment Procedure

The anti-VEGF treatment procedure involves the following steps:

You will be seated in a comfortable semi-reclined position in a chair.
Your eye will be cleaned to prevent infection.
Your face and the area around the eye will be draped to maintain sterile conditions.
Pain relieving eye drops will be administered to numb the eye.
A device may be placed to keep your eyelids open.
The injection is administered into the white portion of your eyeball which is known as the sclera. It takes 15-20 seconds and most patients do not experience pain during the procedure.
Your eyesight will be assessed post injection and antibiotic drops may be administered, after which the drapes are removed.

Post-Operative Care after Anti-VEGF Treatments

You may be provided with antibiotic eye drops that you should use for 3-4 days to prevent infection.
Avoid swimming or getting water into your eyes for a couple of days after the injection.
There may be slight discomfort, redness, and ‘floaters’ in the eye which will go away on its own in a few days.
Most patients require a course of 3 anti-VEGF injections administered at 4-week intervals to obtain maximum benefit.

Risks of Anti-VEGF Treatments

Anti-VEGF treatments are very safe however there is a minimal risk of complications that include:

Eye infection
Eye pain
Increased eye pressure
Bleeding
Cataract formation
Detachment of the retina

Benefits of Anti-VEGF Treatments

Timely treatment with anti-VEGF injections can improve central detailed vision making it easier for patients with certain eye conditions to read, watch TV, and recognize faces.