Procedures Performed In-Office

At South Atlantic Retina, every procedure is performed with a focus on precision, efficiency, and patient comfort. We believe patients do better when they understand what is being done and why—so we take the time to explain each step and tailor treatment to the individual.

Many retinal procedures are performed in the office with minimal downtime. When surgery is required, it is carefully planned and performed in a controlled operating room setting.

  • Intravitreal injections deliver medication directly to the retina and are the most common procedures we perform.

    Your eye is numbed with drops, and the surface is cleaned with Betadine to minimize infection risk. In most cases, we gently hold the eyelids open with our fingers rather than using a speculum, which many patients find more comfortable. For certain medications, such as steroid implants, a small speculum is required.

    The injection itself takes only seconds and is typically felt as slight pressure.

    After the procedure, it is common to experience mild irritation or a scratchy sensation. We recommend using artificial tears for comfort. Most patients resume normal activities the same day.

  • Focal laser is used to treat small areas of leakage in the retina—most commonly from diabetic eye disease. The goal is to seal leaking vessels and allow the retina to return to a dry, stable state.

    Only the treated eye is dilated. After numbing drops are applied, a specialized lens is used to precisely deliver laser treatment.

    The procedure typically takes 10–20 minutes and is well tolerated with minimal discomfort. There are no significant side effects in most cases, and many patients are able to drive themselves home afterward.

  • PRP is used to treat advanced diabetic retinopathy by reducing abnormal blood vessel growth and preserving central vision.

    The affected eye is dilated, and we often use a headset-based laser system to deliver treatment across the peripheral retina. The procedure typically takes 15–45 minutes.

    Some patients tolerate PRP well with numbing drops alone. If discomfort becomes significant, a numbing injection behind the eye can be administered, making the remainder of the procedure painless. In this case, the eye will be patched afterward for approximately 4 hours.

    Because of dilation and possible numbing injection, you should not drive after this procedure and should plan to have someone accompany you.

    It is important to understand that PRP can reduce peripheral and night vision, but the goal is to prevent more serious vision loss and avoid the need for surgery while preserving central vision.

  • Laser retinopexy is used to treat retinal tears or weak areas before they progress to a retinal detachment.

    After numbing the eye, laser is applied to create a barrier around the tear. This seals the retina in place and prevents fluid from spreading underneath it.

    The procedure is quick, highly effective, and an important preventative treatment.

  • Cryotherapy uses controlled freezing to treat retinal tears, support retinal detachment repair and treat abnormal retina lesions.

    The surface of the eye is numbed, often with a small injection, and a probe is applied externally to deliver the treatment. This creates a strong adhesion that stabilizes the retina and causes scarring of abnormal lesions.

    Some pressure and soreness afterward are normal and typically resolve within a few days.

  • This is an in-office procedure used to repair selected retinal detachments.

    The eye is prepared with a small surface numbing injection and then Betadine is applied to sterilize the surface. An eyelid speculum is placed and a gas bubble is injected into the eye, where it rises and presses the retina back into position. Laser or cryotherapy is then used to secure the repair.

    Proper head positioning after the procedure is critical to success, and you will be given very specific instructions. This approach allows certain retinal detachments to be treated without a visit to the operating room.

Planning your visit

Most in-office retinal procedures are done the same day as your examination, once the imaging has been reviewed and the plan discussed with you. That means the visit is longer than a routine eye appointment — plan on being here a couple of hours, and bring something to occupy the waiting between dilation, imaging, and treatment.

  • Bring a driver if you know a laser or a numbing injection is planned, or if you are unsure. Dilation alone makes driving uncomfortable; a block behind the eye makes it unsafe.
  • Bring sunglasses. Dilation lasts several hours and daylight is harsh afterward.
  • Keep taking your medications, including blood thinners, unless you have been told otherwise. Intravitreal injections and office lasers are routinely performed on patients taking anticoagulants.
  • Eat normally. These are not operating-room procedures and there is no fasting requirement.
  • Bring a list of your current eye drops and medications, and your insurance card.

After an intravitreal injection

Injections are the most common procedure performed here, and most patients are surprised by how quick and undramatic they are. Afterward:

  • Grittiness and redness are normal. The scratchy feeling comes from the antiseptic used to clean the eye surface, not from the needle. Preservative-free artificial tears help, and it usually settles within a day.
  • A red patch on the white of the eye is normal. A small subconjunctival hemorrhage looks alarming and is harmless. It fades over one to two weeks.
  • Floaters or small dark specks are common for a day or two, and represent tiny bubbles of the medication.
  • Do not rub the eye. Stay out of swimming pools, hot tubs, lakes and the ocean for 48 hours, and leave contact lenses out of the treated eye for the same 48 hours.
  • You can generally resume normal activity the same day, including work and exercise.

Call the office right away — do not wait — if you develop increasing pain, worsening vision, or increasing light sensitivity in the days after an injection. Infection after an injection is rare, but it is treatable when caught immediately and far less so when it is not. Call (904) 666-5050.

How often will I need injections?

There is no single schedule, and anyone who quotes you one before examining your eye is guessing. Treatment intervals depend on your diagnosis, how your retina responds, and what your OCT scans show over time. Many patients start at roughly monthly intervals while the condition is brought under control, then move to longer intervals as the eye stabilizes — an approach often called treat-and-extend.

What matters more than the interval is not missing visits. Conditions like wet macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, and retinal vein occlusion tend to relapse quietly, and vision lost during a gap is not always recoverable. If cost, transportation, or scheduling is making it hard to keep appointments, say so — that is a problem worth solving in the open rather than by missing visits.

Laser and cryotherapy: what to expect

Office laser feels different from an injection. You will see bright flashes, and depending on the type of laser you may feel a pinprick or a dull ache. Focal laser is generally well tolerated with drops alone. Panretinal photocoagulation covers far more retina and can be uncomfortable; if it is, a numbing block behind the eye makes the rest of the session painless, and the eye is patched for a few hours afterward.

After laser or cryotherapy, expect a dull ache and some light sensitivity for a day or two. Over-the-counter acetaminophen is usually enough. Your vision will be blurry from dilation for several hours regardless.

Insurance and cost

In-office retinal procedures are medical, not vision, services. They are billed to your medical insurance rather than a vision plan, and are covered by most major carriers and by Medicare. Copays, coinsurance, and deductibles vary by plan, and injectable medications are handled differently from the procedure itself. Our office will verify benefits before treatment and tell you what to expect. See the insurances we accept.

Related

Surgeries we perform  ·  Imaging & diagnostics  ·  Conditions we treat  ·  What to expect at your visit

This page describes these procedures in general terms for patient education. It is not medical advice about your eye. What applies to your case will be discussed with you directly.