OFFICE TREATMENTS

Intravitreal Injections

Avastin, Lucentis, Eylea, and Kenalog are all intravitreal (injected into the back of the eye) injections. These injections are the most used medical procedures in the United States. It is the best form of treatment for exudative (wet) AMD, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein/artery occlusions, and choroidal neovascular membrane (secondary to many retinal conditions).

Avastin, Lucentis, and Eylea are all “anti-VEGF” medications. VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor) is what makes new blood vessels (neovascularization) that aren’t supposed to be there. These intravitreal injections are to stop or slow that process down.

Kenalog is a steroid injection used to treat macular edema. Conditions such as diabetes, uveitis, and vein occlusions can cause swelling in the macula (the center of the retina responsible for your pinpoint vision). If the swelling does not go down with steroid drops, your doctor may use Kenalog to help treat the swelling.

Cryopexy

This is used to fix tears in the retina and prevent a retinal detachment. This method works well to treat certain retinal tears, but some people will need future treatment for a tear in another part of the retina.

Panretinal Photocoagulation and Barrier and Focal Lasers

The Pascal laser system is a unique tool that controls laser delivery in four ways, enabling greater precision and control at the tissue level. With the Pascal system, we can help treat retinal tears with the Barrier laser. For proliferative diabetic retinopathy, we can help manage the new blood vessel growth by using the panretinal photocoagulation method. We are also able to laser more focalized areas with the Focal laser method for isolated incidents.

Endophthalmitis Management

Endophthalmitis is an inflammation of the internal coats of the eye. It is a possible complication of all intraocular surgeries, particularly cataract surgery, possibly resulting in loss of vision and the eye itself. Infectious etiology is the most common, and various bacteria and fungi have been isolated as the cause of endophthalmitis. Other causes include penetrating trauma and retained intraocular foreign bodies.

An endophthalmitis patient needs urgent examination by an ophthalmologist and/or vitreo-retina specialist. A specialist will usually decide on urgent intervention, providing an intravitreal injection of potent antibiotics and preparing for an urgent pars plana vitrectomy as needed. In severe cases, enucleation may be required to remove a blind and painful eye.

Pneumatic Retinopexy

This is an effective in-office procedure for certain types of retinal detachments. It uses a bubble of gas to push the retina against the wall of the eye, allowing fluid to be pumped out from beneath the retina. It is usually an outpatient procedure performed with local anesthesia.

During pneumatic retinopexy, the eye doctor (ophthalmologist) injects a gas bubble into the middle of your eyeball. Your head is positioned so that the gas bubble floats to the detached area and presses lightly against the detachment. The bubble flattens the retina so that the fluid can be pumped out from beneath it. The eye doctor then uses a freezing probe (cryopexy) or laser beam (photocoagulation) to seal the tear in the retina.

The bubble remains for about one to three weeks to help flatten the retina until a seal forms between the retina and the wall of the eye. The eye gradually absorbs the gas bubble.