The most common maculopathy is age-related macular degeneration although although the majority of other maculopathies and neovascular membranes can also be treated either through intravitreal injections or vitrectomy, according to each case.

A common way to treat wet macular degeneration targets a specific chemical in your body that causes abnormal blood vessels to grow under the retina. That chemical is called vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF. Several new drug treatments (called anti-VEGF drugs) have been developed for wet AMD that can block the trouble-causing VEGF. Blocking VEGF reduces the growth of abnormal blood vessels, slows their leakage, helps to slow vision loss, and in some cases improves vision.

Intravitreal injections are a fast and safe procedure, painless and with minimal complications and adverse effects. They are usually performed under topical anesthesia (drops) and can be done in the office. Before the procedure, your ophthalmologist will clean your eye to prevent infection and will use an anesthetic to numb your eye. A small caliber needle is used, similar to the one used to administer insulin. The recovery is fast, occuring mostly during the day of the injection.

The most common medications that are administered intraocularly are Avastin® (bevacizumab) and Lucentis® (ranibizumab). Worlwide, intravitreal injections of antiangiogenics are the first line of treatment for macular degeneration and can also be used in specific cases of diabetic retinopathy and vascular occlusions, among other less common diseases.

PERFECT VISION offers the latest technology for the correction of this visual problem.