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Complicanze delle IVT

Complicanze delle IVT

An Intravitreal injection is performed to deliver drugs to the retina and other structures located at the back of the eye. Millions of intravitreal injections are given each year to treat conditions such as wet macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular diseases and inflammation inside the eye. The most serious complication associated with intravitreal injections is infection inside the eye. Fortunately, this is a rare event occurring in approximately 1 in 2000 cases. The risks of infection are minimised by cleaning the area around the eyelids and eyelashes with a soap-like chemical called Betadine. Drops of Betadine are also added to the eye. As a result, the eye is often sore and gritty after an hour or so following the procedure, but this resolves within 24 hours. Other common complications which occur in up to 1 in 20 procedures are floaters and headaches. Again, these are temporary and resolve without treatment. You may see some blood at the side of your eye, this absorbs on its own after a few days to a few weeks. Uncommon complications occurring up to 1 in 100 cases include inflammation inside eye and raised eye pressure which are usually treated with temporary eye drops. Other rare complications include bleeding inside eye and the development of glaucoma. Very rare complications which have a risk of 1 in 10,000, include the development of a retinal tear or detachment, a cataract, the need for additional surgery and serious loss of vision. After the procedure, there is no need for a patch and there are no activity restrictions so you can carry on as normal.



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