Comments on: Shot in the Eye: Safe and…..Painless

By: Randall V. Wong, M.D.

Randall V. Wong, M.D. — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 12:39:13 +0000

Dear Lisa,

Could be small scratch on the eye/cornea or sensitivity to the solutions before the injection (assuming they were used). Ask your doctor.

Randy

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:08:38 +0000

very interesting read…..except…mine did hurt. It’s really uncomfortable and my eye stung the next few days. Not sure why.

By: Randall V. Wong, M.D.

Randall V. Wong, M.D. — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 10:43:05 +0000

Thelma,

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you are doing very well considering the usual severity of macular degeneration. I think the “floater” after the second shot was actually a tiny air bubble which absorbed within a day or so.

It also sounds as if you are very sensitive to Betadine. Ask your doctor, if you ever need another shot, if there are alternatives to Betadine. We use a diluted soap solution with patients sensitive to Betadine.

All the best. Stay well.

Randy

By: T.Hansard

T.Hansard — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 14:28:10 +0000

I am an 86 yr old lady who has had 2 Avastin shots in one eye in 2006. One before Cataract
surgery.. No Betadine used. Had a really bad eye infection after my second Cataract Surgery.
This lasted 5 weeks. I had very good sight for 4 years.
This summer I noticed that I had a dark
shadow in my left eye vision. I had another Doctor give me a shot of Avastin and he used
Betadine in and around my eye. I had a dark floater the first day but that went away. Then for
5 days my eye and surounding area was very sore. Still have a little distorted vision but hope
it gets better with time. I’m not looking forward to getting another shot too soon tho
Thelma

By: Intraocular Injections Bypass Blood Brain Barrier to Deliver Drugs Directly to Retina

Sat, 01 May 2010 12:57:49 +0000

[...] to the retina, by traditional means has historically been very difficult; hence the popularity of intraocular injections. By bypassing the blood-brain-barrier (or blood-retina-barrier), drugs are now effectively [...]

By: Randall V. Wong, M.D.

Randall V. Wong, M.D. — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:59:18 +0000

Thanks for commenting. Happy New Year.

Actually, there is are other reasons for choosing the “lower anterior quadrant.” Yes, we can be “sneaky,” but it gives us the most exposure (i.e. room to work with) and should there be any bleeding, gravity might keep the blood from obscuring the vision as it might settle in the bottom part of the eye. Last, when injecting steroids, such as Kenalog/Triamcinolone, the drug is injected as a suspension (white powdery mixture). The suspension will dissolve after several weeks, but may cause “floaters” until the drug dissolves.

Thanks again.

By: Ron Lane

Ron Lane — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:08:49 +0000

Hi, thanks for the excellent account. I have had 9 jabs: my doc. injects in the lower anterior quadrant i.e. I don’t see it coming, although I know it is.
A tip: I get the doc. to say just before he injects and I push my head back in the headrest a. far a. p. This is ‘cos once the jab hurt so much that I winced & jerked backwards. Best wishes, Ron (UK).

By: Randall V. Wong, M.D.

Randall V. Wong, M.D. — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:04:07 +0000

I think, too often, we physicians get too caught up in the treatment and get too worked up about end product or result. Often we forget the psychological aspects of what we do. I still hate going to the dentist – always afraid of the potential for pain.

The injections are a great treatment as you can tell. The ability to pro-actively help patients with macular degeneration was basically unheard of 15 years ago. The injections have changed what we do. Even treating diabetic retinopathy has become less frustrating!

As I have written before, the next generation of therapeutics will involve sustained release systems. These systems will be injected into the eye and will release their cargo for weeks or months; depending on design. Imagine a sustained release of Avastin!

All this to say that we will be “injecting” for a long time.

Thanks for commenting!

By: Libby

Libby — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:24:07 +0000

Very well described procedure. I have had quite a few intraocular injections and wish I could have read this first!
My first experience was to have an injection of Avastin the day I was seen in the clinic.
While I am numbed adequately I still feel the last push through the eye but the pain is momentary.
I am given antibiotic drops just before the injection and for 4 days after.
I have had about 20 injections and never had an infection. I have had some side effects from the Avastin but have other health issues that may have intensified things.
I don’t regret a single injection as my vision has been preserved . At first I thought I was going to go blind ~ that was 2 years ago and I still have my vision and it is good enough for me to function!