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Slow degradation of my vision. Seeing a retina specialist

Eye Conditions | Last Active: Jan 19 10:38am | Replies (154)

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@realitytest

Many thanks for more helpful information.

I'm concerned about whether my eyes can be protected at carefully diagnosed intervals (right now it's called " extended intervals""). As I understand it, that means I won't get more injections until leakage recurs as examination indicates (by OCT). What worries me is that such a wait and see approach, would mean permanent damage would have to occur (from the leakage) before they notice it!

Have your injections been determined only after more fluid (under the retina) has shown up at a check up? Or do you yourself call it to their attention based on your noticing reduced vision (for example through noticing more waviness/fuzziness using the Amsler Grid?)

I'm afraid it I wait until they notice reduced clarity, at an OCT exam, permanent damage will already have occurred ( leakage causes irreversible scarring),

Could you please indicate when and why your doctors decide to give you injections? Also, are one or both eyes leaking?

I believe geographic atrophy is a term applied to dry macular macular degeneration, which is not helped by injections. How (if at all) do they treat it?

OCT checkups look for new fluid collection in or under the retina, but without the more detailed imaging through Fluorescein angiography (do you have that test too?)

Also (sorry for the number of questions), where are you being treated? As I mentioned, my area is medically underserved, if anything especially in retinal expertise? I wonder if I am at risk by having too few injections.

Best of luck in your eyes maintaining their visual acuity! This wait and see procedure is nerve-wracking but there seems to be considerable variation in how patients respond.

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Replies to "Many thanks for more helpful information. I'm concerned about whether my eyes can be protected at..."

I’m fine with questions! Most people don’t want to talk with me about it!! I had Fluorescein angiography when it was decided that I needed injections in my left eye. I have dry AMD in both eyes but it’s the left one that has the geographic atrophy as well. Every 3 or 4 injections I get an OCT - I believe they are watching a measurement- maybe foveal thickness. As it improved and stayed stabile with injections we started extending the weeks between. I started at four weeks and we tried as far apart as 10 weeks but the OCT showed a worsening at that long an interval. I’m back to 6-7 weeks. I’m at the Mayo Clinic and my eye doctor is a retina specialist though I also see a glaucoma doc once a year. I’m getting injections of Avastin rather than Lucentis. There is no treatment (yet) for dry AMD or the geographic atrophy that can come with it. Maybe there will be in a few years.

My injections are on a schedule not based on my reports. If I were to have a dramatic change then I’m supposed to call right away.

From what I understand, wet macular degeneration can be improved by the injections so maybe the doctor feels that it is better to wait if they feel it’s a stabile situation and even if it advances slightly the injections might be able improve anything that happens - rather than putting you through more injections. If you have any sudden or noticeable change in your vision, I would think would need to be addressed immediately. Can you ask them why they feel it’s okay to wait? Good luck!