Treatment for Retinal Conditions

Anti-VEGF Injections

Medications injected into the eye to stop abnormal blood vessel growth and leakage

When to seek immediate care

  • •Severe eye pain that worsens in the days after injection
  • •Significant vision decrease
  • •Increasing redness or discharge from the eye
  • •Sensitivity to light that gets worse

Contact your retina specialist or seek emergency eye care immediately — these could be signs of infection.

Anti-VEGF injections are medications given directly into the eye to treat conditions where abnormal blood vessels grow or leak fluid in the retina. These drugs block a protein called VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) that triggers this harmful blood vessel activity. For conditions like wet macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease, anti-VEGF therapy has been transformative — often stabilizing or even improving vision that would otherwise be lost.

How it works

In conditions like wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and retinal vein occlusions, the eye produces too much VEGF protein. This causes abnormal blood vessels to grow beneath the retina or existing vessels to leak fluid and blood, damaging the delicate tissue responsible for central vision.

Anti-VEGF medications (such as Eylea, Lucentis, Avastin, and newer options like Vabysmo) work by blocking this VEGF protein. When injected into the vitreous gel inside your eye, these drugs reduce leakage, shrink abnormal vessels, and help dry up the fluid that's distorting your vision. Treatment is ongoing — most patients need regular injections to maintain the benefit.

Animation showing anti-VEGF medication blocking abnormal vessel growth and reducing retinal swelling

Is this right for me?

This may be considered if you have:

  • Wet (neovascular) age-related macular degeneration
  • Diabetic macular edema (swelling in the center of the retina from diabetes)
  • Diabetic retinopathy with problematic blood vessel growth
  • Retinal vein occlusion causing macular edema
  • Other conditions involving abnormal retinal blood vessels

It may not be a good fit if you have:

  • Dry AMD (different condition, anti-VEGF not typically used)
  • Active eye infection that needs to be treated first
  • Certain rare conditions where anti-VEGF may not be beneficial

Your retina specialist will evaluate your condition with imaging tests to determine if anti-VEGF therapy is appropriate and which medication may work best for you.

What to expect

1

Before

  • •Your eye will be examined with imaging (OCT, angiography) to assess the condition
  • •You'll receive a treatment plan outlining expected injection frequency
  • •On injection day, you don't need to fast — continue normal activities before your appointment
2

During

The injection itself takes only seconds. Your eye is numbed with drops, cleaned with antiseptic, and a very thin needle delivers the medication into the vitreous gel. Most patients feel only a brief pressure sensation. The whole appointment typically takes 15-30 minutes, but the actual injection is very quick.

3

After

  • •You can usually resume normal activities right away
  • •Your eye may feel scratchy or irritated for a day
  • •You might see floaters temporarily from the medication
  • •Follow-up imaging helps determine when you need your next injection
  • •Most patients need injections every 4-12 weeks initially, with some able to extend intervals over time
Anti-VEGF injections are generally very safe when performed by experienced retina specialists. Serious complications like eye infection are rare (less than 1 in 1,000 injections) but require immediate attention. Always report sudden pain, vision loss, or increasing redness after an injection.

Frequently asked questions

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Sources

Information on this page is based on the following authoritative sources:

Last updated: April 2026