Wet AMD: How does the injection therapy work?

Age-related macular degeneration – AMD for short – occurs in different forms. There is dry AMD and wet AMD, with dry AMD being more common. Dry AMD can turn into wet AMD in 10-15% of those affected.

Drug therapy for wet AMD

There are drugs available for treatment of the wet form of AMD. The aim of the therapy is to inhibit so-called growth factors (VEGF). It is carried out with an injection in the eye so that the drug can take effect there.

Currently no therapy for dry AMD

There are currently no proven effective forms of therapy for dry AMD. Dry AMD has a slower development process than wet AMD.

Syringes in the eye? No fear! The injection therapy used for wet AMD is painless for you as a patient.

How a series of injections for injection therapy in wet AMD works

If we diagnose a wet, age-related macular degeneration, we will immediately begin injection therapy. The earlier treatment is started, the sooner wet AMD can be stopped and impending blindness averted. The prognosis is good with early therapy.

Feuchte AMD – wie oft zum Augenarzt?

Als Patient erhalten Sie einen Behandlungsplan der das regelmäßige Wirken des Medikamentes plant und gewährleistet. Der Augenarzt spricht von einer Injektionsserie. In der Regel werden bei dieser Serie drei Injektionen im Abstand von vier bis sechs Wochen durchgeführt.

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The injection procedure for wet AMD

  • The patient is received in a sterile room for the appointment. The eye is numbed several times with anesthetic drops. The subsequent injection will be absolutely painless. Before the injection, the eye and the surrounding skin are disinfected and held open with an eyelid lock.
  • The injection is then carried out in the area of the pars plana of the eye, which is the area 3-4 mm to the side of the cornea.
  • After the injection, the eye is given an ointment and, if necessary, an eye bandage is applied to prevent bacteria from entering the puncture site. The bandage can be removed again at home.
  • The injection treatment takes between 30-60 minutes.
  • After two to four days, a postoperative check-up at the practice is necessary to ensure that there is no inflammatory reaction due to an infection in the eye. This is an extremely rare but serious complication.

Follow-up check of the injection therapy

About a month after the three injections, a so-called series of injections, an OCT control is carried out as part of a check-up. The aim of the control is to check the effectiveness of the therapy and the medication.

OCT means optical coherence tomography. It depicts the deeper layers of the eye. With OCT, the course of AMD can be determined quickly and reliably.

What happens after a series of injections for injection therapy for wet AMD?

After a series of injections and the follow-up control have taken place – depending on the findings – either a new series of injections is planned or regular checks of the macula with OCT are agreed.

A series of injections is started whenever the macula becomes moist again.

Education about injection therapy for wet AMD

The treatment of wet AMD is usually lengthy. It is therefore important that patients feel well informed, understand all treatment steps and reliably keep the necessary appointments.

Relatives should also be well informed about the disease, as they are often involved, e.g. as an accompanying person.