Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesAre They Painful?CostEye Injections vs. Eye DropsHow to PrepareTips to Stay CalmHow Often Needed
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Are They Painful?
Cost
Eye Injections vs. Eye Drops
How to Prepare
Tips to Stay Calm
How Often Needed
Receiving eye injections forage-relatedmacular degeneration(AMD) can be a real sight-saver for those with this condition. These intravitreal (in-the-eye) injections allow an ophthalmologist to place the medication directly into the vitreous cavity at the back of the eye, where it is needed.
Besides AMD, injections can treat other conditions affecting the light-sensitiveretina, such asdiabetic retinopathyandretinal veinocclusions (blockages).
Injections for AMD include the new drugs Syfovre (pegcetacoplan) and Izervay (avacincaptad pegol) to slow the progress ofgeographic atrophy, powerful anti-VEGFs (vascular endothelial growth factor) to keep abnormal blood vessels from growing, steroids to tamp down inflammation, and antibiotics, antifungal drugs, and antiviral drugs to fight infection.
This article will highlight the various kinds of eye injections for AMD, how injections compare to eye drops, how to prepare for the injections, how to minimize injection-related anxiety, and more.
Abraham Gonzalez Fernandez / Getty Images
How Different Types of Eye Injections for AMD Work
Beyond wet AMD, eye injections help treat:
Are Eye Injections Painful?
While the idea of an eye injection may be alarming, it usually is not painful. In some cases, you may feel nothing, while in others, you may briefly feel some moderate discomfort.
As part of the process (in most cases), the ophthalmologist will put numbing eye drops in your eye so that you will likely only feel some pressure during the injection.
Cost of Eye Injections
Eye injections typically come with a significant price tag, although not always. The anti-VEGF agents Eylea (aflibercept) and Eylea HD cost around $1,850 - $3,200 per dose. For treating wet AMD, a 0.5 milligram (mg) dose of Lucentis (ranibizumab) costs between $1,950 and $2,023, and a less concentrated 0.3 mg dose for treating diabetic macular edema goes for around $1,170 per dose.
Newer geographic atrophy agents include Syfovre (pegcetacoplan), priced at $2,190 per dose,and Izervay (avacincaptad pegol), priced at $2,520 per dose.
All FDA-approved treatments offer financial assistance programs that may lower your costs. For instance, Eylea has the EYLEA4U program. Consult with your doctor to determine your eligibility.
Although the idea of an eye injection may not be as appealing as simply putting in eye drops, there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Here’s what to consider.
Pros
However, while this treatment can keep abnormal new blood vessels from forming, once the retina is damaged, it currently cannot be reversed.
In studies, Syfovre showed as much as a 22% reduction in geographic atrophy lesion growth over two years and Izervay showed a 14% reduction over one year. Receiving Syfovre or Izervay can slow the progression of geographic atrophy but does not reverse it.
Meanwhile, for drops, the big advantage is patient appeal. Research shows that people strongly prefer drops, with around 76% claiming they would prefer this to intravitreal injections. The thinking is this could translate into increased compliance with treatment.
Cons
While eye injections are usually considered safe, there can be complications. Some potential complications to watch for include:
Meanwhile, no drops have yet been shown to be effective in humans for treating AMD.
How to Prepare for Eye Injections
It’s natural to be wary of an eye injection at first. The best way to prepare is to understand the process clearly.
Before the injection, the ophthalmologist will numb your eye and use a device to keep you from blinking during the injection. They will also clean the eye surface with an iodine solution.
After numbing the eye, the ophthalmologist will determine where the injection should go. Usually, this will be on the lower part of your eye near your ear. They will likely ask you to look up so they can inject the medication here using a tiny needle.
During the injection, you may see the medication combining with fluid in the eye in the form of a web of lines. That’s completely normal.
After completing the injection, the ophthalmologist will examine and clean the eye. Don’t be surprised if your eye is sore and your vision is somewhat cloudy for the first few days.
If needed, you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever and use a cool cloth for comfort. You may also need to use antibiotic drops for a few days to prevent infection.
Make sure you have someone available to drive you home immediately after the procedure.
Stay Calm During the Eye Injection
If you’re still worried that you may be a little rattled, here are some measures to take that may help you remain calm:
How Often to Have Eye Injections
You will need to receive eye injections to control AMD periodically. Initially, most people can expect to get anti-VEGF injections once a month, although some agents last longer than others.
In some cases, you may get these less often over time and may even eventually be able to stop. But for others, the need for such eye injections to keep abnormal blood vessels from forming and preserve vision will continue.
If you are receiving Syfovre injections, you will need these every 25 to 60 days. Izervay is given monthly.
Summary
Eye injections can help treat AMD and other conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusions. These can deliver the newly approved Syfovre or Izervay for combating geographic atrophy, anti-VEGF medication, and drugs to fight infection and inflammation.
While it’s natural to have concerns about eye injections, the use of numbing drops keeps discomfort to a minimum. The injections themselves can slow AMD, as well as geographic atrophy, and help to preserve vision.
18 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The American Society of Retinal Specialists.Intravitreal injections.Foundation Fighting Blindness.FDA approves Apellis' Syfovre, for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Cruz-Pimentel M, Wu L.Complement inhibitors for advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (geographic atrophy): Some light at the end of the tunnel?J Clin Med. 2023 Aug 4;12(15):5131. doi: 10.3390/jcm12155131Virgili G, Parravano M, Evans JR, Gordon I, Lucenteforte E.Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor for diabetic macular oedema: a network meta-analysis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;10(10):CD007419. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007419.pub6Bright Focus Foundation.Injections for wet macular degeneration: What you need to know.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Expensive drugs.Review of Optometry.First geographic atrophy drug approved.American Academy of Ophthalmology.New treatments for macular degeneration.Bright Focus Foundation.Can macular degeneration be reversed?Heier JS, Lad EM, Holz FG, Rosenfeld PJ, Guymer RH, Boyer D, et al.OAKS and DERBY study investigators. Pegcetacoplan for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration (OAKS and DERBY): two multicentre, randomised, double-masked, sham-controlled, phase 3 trials.Lancet. 2023 Oct 21;402(10411):1434-1448. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01520-9Khanani AM, Patel SS, Staurenghi G, Tadayoni R, Danzig CJ, Eichenbaum DA, et al.Efficacy and safety of avacincaptad pegol in patients with geographic atrophy (GATHER2): 12-month results from a randomised, double-masked, phase 3 trial.Lancet. 2023 Oct 21;402(10411):1449-1458. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01583-0Jacobs B, Palmer N, Shetty T, et al.Patient preferences in retinal drug delivery.Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):18996. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-98568-7American Society of Retina Specialists.Intravitreal injections.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eyedrop for AMD.Texas Retina Associates.What to expect from an eye injection.Gomez J, Koozekanani DD, Feng AZ, et al.Strategies for improving patient comfort during intravitreal injections: results from a survey-based study.Ophthalmol Ther. 2016;5(2):183-190. doi:10.1007/s40123-016-0058-2National Eye Institute.Injections to treat eye conditions.Food and Drug Administration.Syfovre.
18 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The American Society of Retinal Specialists.Intravitreal injections.Foundation Fighting Blindness.FDA approves Apellis' Syfovre, for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Cruz-Pimentel M, Wu L.Complement inhibitors for advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (geographic atrophy): Some light at the end of the tunnel?J Clin Med. 2023 Aug 4;12(15):5131. doi: 10.3390/jcm12155131Virgili G, Parravano M, Evans JR, Gordon I, Lucenteforte E.Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor for diabetic macular oedema: a network meta-analysis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;10(10):CD007419. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007419.pub6Bright Focus Foundation.Injections for wet macular degeneration: What you need to know.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Expensive drugs.Review of Optometry.First geographic atrophy drug approved.American Academy of Ophthalmology.New treatments for macular degeneration.Bright Focus Foundation.Can macular degeneration be reversed?Heier JS, Lad EM, Holz FG, Rosenfeld PJ, Guymer RH, Boyer D, et al.OAKS and DERBY study investigators. Pegcetacoplan for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration (OAKS and DERBY): two multicentre, randomised, double-masked, sham-controlled, phase 3 trials.Lancet. 2023 Oct 21;402(10411):1434-1448. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01520-9Khanani AM, Patel SS, Staurenghi G, Tadayoni R, Danzig CJ, Eichenbaum DA, et al.Efficacy and safety of avacincaptad pegol in patients with geographic atrophy (GATHER2): 12-month results from a randomised, double-masked, phase 3 trial.Lancet. 2023 Oct 21;402(10411):1449-1458. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01583-0Jacobs B, Palmer N, Shetty T, et al.Patient preferences in retinal drug delivery.Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):18996. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-98568-7American Society of Retina Specialists.Intravitreal injections.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eyedrop for AMD.Texas Retina Associates.What to expect from an eye injection.Gomez J, Koozekanani DD, Feng AZ, et al.Strategies for improving patient comfort during intravitreal injections: results from a survey-based study.Ophthalmol Ther. 2016;5(2):183-190. doi:10.1007/s40123-016-0058-2National Eye Institute.Injections to treat eye conditions.Food and Drug Administration.Syfovre.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
The American Society of Retinal Specialists.Intravitreal injections.Foundation Fighting Blindness.FDA approves Apellis' Syfovre, for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).Cruz-Pimentel M, Wu L.Complement inhibitors for advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (geographic atrophy): Some light at the end of the tunnel?J Clin Med. 2023 Aug 4;12(15):5131. doi: 10.3390/jcm12155131Virgili G, Parravano M, Evans JR, Gordon I, Lucenteforte E.Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor for diabetic macular oedema: a network meta-analysis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;10(10):CD007419. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007419.pub6Bright Focus Foundation.Injections for wet macular degeneration: What you need to know.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Expensive drugs.Review of Optometry.First geographic atrophy drug approved.American Academy of Ophthalmology.New treatments for macular degeneration.Bright Focus Foundation.Can macular degeneration be reversed?Heier JS, Lad EM, Holz FG, Rosenfeld PJ, Guymer RH, Boyer D, et al.OAKS and DERBY study investigators. Pegcetacoplan for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration (OAKS and DERBY): two multicentre, randomised, double-masked, sham-controlled, phase 3 trials.Lancet. 2023 Oct 21;402(10411):1434-1448. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01520-9Khanani AM, Patel SS, Staurenghi G, Tadayoni R, Danzig CJ, Eichenbaum DA, et al.Efficacy and safety of avacincaptad pegol in patients with geographic atrophy (GATHER2): 12-month results from a randomised, double-masked, phase 3 trial.Lancet. 2023 Oct 21;402(10411):1449-1458. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01583-0Jacobs B, Palmer N, Shetty T, et al.Patient preferences in retinal drug delivery.Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):18996. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-98568-7American Society of Retina Specialists.Intravitreal injections.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eyedrop for AMD.Texas Retina Associates.What to expect from an eye injection.Gomez J, Koozekanani DD, Feng AZ, et al.Strategies for improving patient comfort during intravitreal injections: results from a survey-based study.Ophthalmol Ther. 2016;5(2):183-190. doi:10.1007/s40123-016-0058-2National Eye Institute.Injections to treat eye conditions.Food and Drug Administration.Syfovre.
The American Society of Retinal Specialists.Intravitreal injections.
Foundation Fighting Blindness.FDA approves Apellis' Syfovre, for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Cruz-Pimentel M, Wu L.Complement inhibitors for advanced dry age-related macular degeneration (geographic atrophy): Some light at the end of the tunnel?J Clin Med. 2023 Aug 4;12(15):5131. doi: 10.3390/jcm12155131
Virgili G, Parravano M, Evans JR, Gordon I, Lucenteforte E.Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor for diabetic macular oedema: a network meta-analysis.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;10(10):CD007419. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007419.pub6
Bright Focus Foundation.Injections for wet macular degeneration: What you need to know.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Expensive drugs.
Review of Optometry.First geographic atrophy drug approved.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.New treatments for macular degeneration.
Bright Focus Foundation.Can macular degeneration be reversed?
Heier JS, Lad EM, Holz FG, Rosenfeld PJ, Guymer RH, Boyer D, et al.OAKS and DERBY study investigators. Pegcetacoplan for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration (OAKS and DERBY): two multicentre, randomised, double-masked, sham-controlled, phase 3 trials.Lancet. 2023 Oct 21;402(10411):1434-1448. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01520-9
Khanani AM, Patel SS, Staurenghi G, Tadayoni R, Danzig CJ, Eichenbaum DA, et al.Efficacy and safety of avacincaptad pegol in patients with geographic atrophy (GATHER2): 12-month results from a randomised, double-masked, phase 3 trial.Lancet. 2023 Oct 21;402(10411):1449-1458. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01583-0
Jacobs B, Palmer N, Shetty T, et al.Patient preferences in retinal drug delivery.Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):18996. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-98568-7
American Society of Retina Specialists.Intravitreal injections.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eyedrop for AMD.
Texas Retina Associates.What to expect from an eye injection.
Gomez J, Koozekanani DD, Feng AZ, et al.Strategies for improving patient comfort during intravitreal injections: results from a survey-based study.Ophthalmol Ther. 2016;5(2):183-190. doi:10.1007/s40123-016-0058-2
National Eye Institute.Injections to treat eye conditions.
Food and Drug Administration.Syfovre.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
