Continuation of eye injections after bleeding stops?

I am not going to try to guess whether your treatment ought to continue, but here is some recent information from Johns Hopkins about the topic:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/study-finds-up-to-30-of-patients-with-wet-macular-degeneration-can-safely-stop-eye-injections

Have you asked your new retinologist about whether to treat both eyes? Perhaps he sees a difference in the disease progression between them?
Sue

@decabea, that is a very good question and the article @sueinmn provided helps guide questions you could ask your retinologist so you feel confident and comfortable with the care you're getting. It is really important to understand the "why" behind further injections or not, and to know with confidence that it is not an unnecessary health and financial burden.

You might also appreciate the experiences shared by fellow members in this related discussion:
- Wet Macular Degeneration: What treatment helps you? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/wet-macular-degeneration-1/

@lvon @sweede536 @mjj @pacer3702 @realitytest @downeaster @cmbg @jameslgo @burrkay may be able to share some insights on their treatment and follow-up.

Yes I read that John Hopkins report. I asked the Fla. dr. If he felt an injection every three months for the right eye was going to be for the rest of my life and he basically indicated that was his standard course of treatment. I then brought up the fact that my left eye had been treated in NY and he sort of shrugged it off, not giving me an explanation of why one eye should be injected every three months and the other only followed every three months.

Many thanks for forwarding this article about a pressing concern of mine. I've been investigating (a lot) why and when patients can safely discontinue injections and what various studies indicate.

Two retinologists have told me that Treat and Extend (variously defined) is the best way to decide when to inject. I'm concerned that my wet macular degeneration suffering eye (and its "fellow eye"?) might leak and cause more permanent scarring and. loss of acuity, before I've "caught" it and brought it to my retinologist.

One retinologist informed me that there is a new device capable of detecting fluid in (under, intra) the retina via a portable OCT so that for patients who have access to it* could check their eyes every day much as they can - and should - check their vision with the Amsler Grid.

I've read about it online and I'm afraid it may not be available anywhere near me. I'm also frankly confused about how patients could access such a device and an office housing it. I think it's somehow through the internet, and analyzed experts from where the OCT device itself is located.

Since they appear to cost well over $100K it doesn't seem likely to be available to the general public, for home use.

I wish someone could explain it more to me. I'm anxious (naturally, as we all are) to do whatever I can to prolong my period of sightedly and hate the idea that I might miss nascent leakage.

I'm about the commit to arrange to undergo a Watchman procedure (cardiac) to allow myself to discontinue oral blood thinners to protect from stroke to which I'm prone because of my atrial fibrillation. Have been doing some complex research about whether or not it's worth it, if I may endanger myself by having the device implanted in the posterior of my heart - that is, without taking aspirin afterwards for the rest of my life.

The danger would be that I might risk stroke if I don't take the aspirin, but might not succeed in protecting my retinas (from nAMD) if I substitute aspirin for the blood thinners. As simply as I can put it, there is a huge body of research out there about these issues and (wouldn't you know it?) is mutually contradictory.

An arrhythmia specialist at the Cl;eveland CLinic (he is also an interventional cardiologist) says the aspirin is necessary while a top retinologist and other interventional cardiologist , says it is NOT strictly required to take aspirin forever after the Watchman Procedure. One difficult aspect to the information, is that European studies and protocols surrounding the Watchman are much less strict about the aspirin.

Furthermore, my overall stroke risks from my AFIB is also self contradictory in that many cardiologists recommend discontinuing anti-coagulants with age (I'm
76) because of the increasing fall risk. Older patients are predisposed to hemorrhagic strokes if they fall hitting their heads.

(Not to forget that ischemic strokes are only ~ 85% of strokes. if I continue blood thinners - forgetting all about trying to slow my eyes' movement toward blindness because of my retinal diseases - I would be a goner if I have intracranial bleeding.)

I started this research project (trying to find a substitute to blood thinners for the sake of my eyes) hoping doctors would help me arrive at a risk/benefit decision about the Watchman procedure. However, the more I learn the more I realize there is absolute no consensus to the degree of risk following any decision.

I want to do everything I can to prolong my sightedness (sadly, there is no cure for wet macular degeneration - my mother has been blind for quite some time because she has it). OTOH I couldn't say I would like to have a stroke =- of any kind! (Besides which strokes can lead to blindness too.)

Apart from all these decisions trying to enhance my health (cardiac and eyes), I'm also troubled by questions about the issue above - when to discontinue anti-VEF injections . If the retinal leakage continues (or starts again after a temporary stoppage) how do they know whether to continue the injections and if so, how frequently? Just to make it that much more confusing, two retinologists have pointed out that the injections are not risk-free. For one thing, they can cause infection and consequent complete loss of sight in that eye.

I'm just about to resort to flipping a coin or using a Magic Eight Ball!
However, this discussion to which my attention was called has helped me as getting feedback from other patients is immensely useful.

Thank you.