Avastin™ Injection Treatments For Macular Degeneration Available in Sherman Texas

Macular Degeneration is a serious eye disease that is one of the leading causes of blindness in our country. However, if age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is diagnosed and treated early enough, blindness can often be averted.

Although there is no treatment that can reverse damage to the macula or the loss of vision that may result, there is new hope in preventing damage for those with "wet" macular degeneration. This new treatment, in the form of Avastin injections, is now available in the Sherman, Texas office of RGB Eye Associates.

What is Avastin?

Avastin™ is a drug that was originally developed for cancer treatment -- which is still its "official" use. However, many ophthalmologists now use Avastin to treat wet macular degeneration, with excellent results. Although this use is considered an "off label" use of Avastin - meaning that the drug wasn't originally intended for this use and the drug's label itself doesn't mention this use - it is proving safe and quite effective for treating AMD.

How Avastin Works for Macular Degeneration

Avastin was formulated to inhibit the growth of new blood vessels. Since the growth and spread of blood vessels in the eye - and particularly around the macula and retina - is the basic problem with wet macular degeneration, inhibiting the growth of blood vessels is an effective treatment for this disease. In more technical terms, the drug works by inhibiting Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). In other words, when Avastin is injected directly into the eye, it helps limit or stop the growth of new blood vessels.

The FDA's web site (FDA.gov) includes clinical studies of anti-VEGF injections which show that regular injections can help patients maintain their vision. This is very exciting news for AMD suffers and the ophthalmologists that treat them and want to do everything they can to preserve their patients' vision. However, early diagnosis and treatment still remains a key!

RGB Eye Associates are getting great results treating AMD patients with Avastin injections. The procedure is quick, simple and highly effective. The RGB docs are especially pleased to be offering Avastin to the people of northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma because Avastin requires regular treatments (approximately every 4 - 6 weeks) and driving to Dallas or Oklahoma City for these treatments would create hardship for Texoma area patients and their families.

State of the Art Eye Care In Sherman, Texas

RGB Eye Associates offers Texoma residents the most up to date eye procedures, with the newest technologies available and the best care possible. Although the ophthalmologists at RGB are committed to bringing the newest eye treatments to the Sherman-Ada-Ardmore communities, they would never risk their patients' eyesight or health to do so.

Our eye doctors are confident in the safety and effectiveness of Avastin treatment for wet macular degeneration and believe it is an important breakthrough that may help save the vision of thousands. Indeed, ophthalmologists nationwide believe that the risk of complications for patients with eye conditions is low. Although very ill cancer patients receiving high doses of Avastin did have some side effects and reactions, patients receiving small doses of Avastin through direct injection into their eye, (intravitreal Avastin) have rarely experienced side effects. This will, of course, be fully discussed with patients who wish to explore Avastin as a treatment for macular degeneration.

For more information or to make an appointment to be evaluated for Avastin injections for AMD, please call RGB Eye Associaties - Sherman, Texas - at their Avastin evaluation appointment. 903.892.3282.