Patient Guide
What Is an Intravitreal Injection?
An intravitreal injection is a small, precise dose of medicine placed directly into the vitreous — the clear gel at the centre of the eye. The technique has become one of the most important advances in modern ophthalmology because it allows powerful medicines to reach the retina in high concentration, with very little effect on the rest of the body.
Why we use intravitreal injections
Anti-VEGF injections — Avastin (bevacizumab), Lucentis (ranibizumab), and Eylea (aflibercept) — are the gold-standard treatment for several retinal conditions:
- Wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD)
- Diabetic macular edema (DME)
- Macular edema from retinal vein occlusion (CRVO or BRVO)
- Myopic choroidal neovascularisation
- Selected cases of uveitic macular edema
What happens during the appointment
Your visit starts with an OCT scan to confirm the plan. We place strong numbing drops on the eye, clean the surface with antiseptic, and inject the medicine through the pars plana — a tiny entry point outside the visible eye. The injection itself takes seconds. We re-check pressure and give you aftercare instructions before you leave.
At YAS Eye Clinic, every Anti-VEGF injection is performed by our consultant ophthalmologist with full aseptic technique, and the schedule is set by your OCT responses — never by a rigid calendar.
Safety and side effects
Intravitreal injection is very safe. The most common side effects are mild — temporary floaters for a day or two, a small red patch on the white of the eye. Rare risks include raised eye pressure, inflammation, and infection (endophthalmitis). We monitor closely after every injection and give you clear instructions on what to call us about.