Eye Injections
They sound scary - but when I do it I can promise you it doesn't hurt! More importantly, they work!
When do I need an eye injection?
There are various reasons an eye injection is needed - the most common conditions include
How is it done?
This is a straightforward procedure that is done in clinic in a sterile fashion to reduce the risk of infection.
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​Your eye is numbed and sterilised with special drops so you don't feel what's happening after
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I further numb your eye with a very fine tip needle
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After cleaning your eye, I inject the medication into your eye with you looking elsewhere so you don't see the needle coming - before you know it it's over. The most common phrase I hear from a first-timer is "Is that it? I didn't feel a thing!"​We then wash your eye with some saline and send you home
What are the risks of an eye injection?
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As with any procedure, eye injections despite being straightforward, are not risk-free. This is why I spend time discussing the pros and cons of treatment vs no treatment with my patients.
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Common but minor side-effects include feelings of irritation or grittiness of the eye, red eyes or some superficial bleeding on the surface of the eye. These are all transient and go away after a few days to weeks. Over-the-counter lubricating drops can help with these symptoms.
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The worst-case scenario is getting an infection in the eye after an injection (termed endophthalmitis). This is an extremely rare occurrence, with past data showing that the chance of this happening is about 1 in 2000-3000. Although rare, an infection in the eye can be devastating and potentially cause blindness, hence my constant nagging to patients to be obsessive about hand hygiene and eye cleanliness after each injection!
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Please click here to read a more in-depth discussion about risks of surgery/procedures.
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There are other uncommon risks associated with injections that I will discuss with you in detail + give you an information sheet to take home.