Surgeon: Be prepared to manage complications of intravitreal therapies

NEW YORK — As intravitreal therapies for retinal diseases proliferate, surgeons should be prepared to manage complications associated with these new drugs and delivery methods, according to a surgeon speaking here.

"Intravitreal therapy is incredibly explosive right now," said Thomas B. Connor Jr., MD. "We are in a position to do things we have not been able to do before and deliver medications to a level we have not yet been able to achieve."

Dr. Connor discussed potential complications of intravitreal drug therapy in a presentation at the OSN New York Symposium.

Although these new therapies show great potential for treatment of age-related macular degeneration and other pathologies, unwanted effects related to intravitreal injection of drugs can arise. Endophthalmitis and retinal detachment are the complications of intravitreal drug injection that retinal surgeons are "scared of the most," Dr. Connor said. Other adverse events can include hemorrhage, lens injury from injection needles and IOP elevation, all of which the surgeon should be prepared to manage, he said.

"There also may be potential systemic side effects," he said. "It is just a concern right now, but something to monitor for."

Dr. Connor reviewed safety guidelines for avoiding these complications after intravitreal injections. He recommended avoiding excessive lid manipulation, marking the injection site, using adequate anesthesia and stabilizing the injection to avoid reflux.

"Most important, educate the patient about what to look out for, such as redness and new floaters, and tell them to give you a call," he said.