02 Nov NSAID Eyedrop + Eye Patch Better at Reducing Pain After Intravitreal Injection

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Gentile

Ronald Gentile, MD
Professor of Ophthalmology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Intravitreal injections have revolutionized the treatment of some of the most common retinal diseases that cause blindness. These diseases include wet age related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Intravitreal injections are the most common eye procedure in the world. Pain after an intravitreal injection negatively impacts the patient’s experience. We set out a to find a way to improve the patient’s experience by improving the pain they feel after the intravitreal injection.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings? 

Response: The main finding was that the NSAID we used, Nepafanac 0.3% suspension, and pressure patching resulted in lower pain scores when compared to the tear drop placebo at both 6 and 24 hours after the intravitreal injection. The NSAID had a greater effect on lowering the pain score and was found statistically significance. Even though the eyepatch was associated with lower pain scores than placebo, the difference did not reach statistical significance. 

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Readers should understand that patients not only have a fear going blind, they also fear the pain of the treatment. Physicians should place more emphasis on the patients experience and try to decrease or eliminate any pain a patient may have from the intravitreal injections. It would be expected that this should help patient compliance, especially for those patient who need regular intravitreal injections. 

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

Response: Future research should focus on the patients experience and find ways to eliminate any pain a patient may have before, during, and after the intravitreal injections. 

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: Yes. Patient satisfaction and the patient experience is something that all ophthalmologists and all doctors need to put on the top of their priority list. Physicians have the greatest ability and insight into this. Having the greatest medicines in the world cant help if a patients fear of pain prevents them from being compliant.

I have no disclosures.

Citation: AAO 2018 abstract

Pain Control Following Intravitreal Injection Using Topical Nepefanac 0.3% or Pressure Patching: A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo Controlled Trial

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Last Updated on November 2, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD