How To Treat Diabetic Retinopathy

Medicine Injection Into The Eye

For diabetic retinopathy patients who have abnormal blood vessels in the retina, a medicine injection into the eye can be beneficial. The most common medicine used for this particular treatment is anti-VEGF. Ranibizumab and aflibercept are two kinds of this medication, and most patients receive an injection of one of these each month. Before the injection, the patient's eye is numbed with anesthetic drops, and special clips are used to hold the eye open. The injection uses a very fine needle, and most patients do not experience any pain while it is given. If anti-VEGF injections do not work, doctors may use steroid injections instead. Having injections in the eye may help slow the progression of diabetic retinopathy and could lead to an improvement in vision.