An air bubble in the eye is how some patients describe the appearance of silicone particles after Avastin injections.

Avastin is a cancer treatment drug that has become popular for off-label use to treat age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy.

Avastin works by blocking the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the back part of the eye. Left unchecked, the growth of abnormal blood vessels can affect vision. When these blood vessels leak, they can cause wet age-related macular degeneration and contribute to diabetic eye disease.

The FDA allows off-label uses for drugs, but the drug’s manufacturer cannot specifically market a drug for off-label use.

For many patients who experience complications after Avastin injection, the problem lies not in the medication itself but in its delivery mechanism. Because Avastin is not produced with eye injections as its primary use, doctors turn to compound pharmacists to load Avastin into syringes.

Compound pharmacies don’t always use syringes designed for use in the eyes. Syringes that are manufactured for intravenous drug delivery often are lubricated with silicone oil for ease of moving the plunger to smoothly dispense the medication.

As soon as one of the syringes is filled with Avastin, the silicone from the barrel can mix with the medication. The longer a filled syringe sits on a shelf, the more silicone can seep into the medicine. If frozen, even more silicone will mix into the Avastin.

The sensation of an air bubble in the eye is actually silicone particles that have separated from the Avastin and traveled to within the line of vision.

Air Bubble in the Eye Can Lead to Serious Problems

Silicone particles in the eyes can result in more serious problems than just the feeling of an air bubble in the eye.  Potential problems from silicone floating in the eye include:

• Increased intraocular pressure
• Inflammation
• Infection (endophthalmitis)
• Retinal tearing
• Retinal detachment
• Cataract formation
• Glaucoma (increased pressure in the eye)
• Hypotony (reduced pressure in the eye)
• Corneal damage
• Vision loss/blindness
• Other vision-related complications

An air bubble in the eye is not the only danger patients could face from Avastin eye injections. Syringes that are prepared offsite must go through a change of hands before reaching the patient. Preparing Avastin for injection creates a greater risk of the medicine becoming contaminated with bacteria.

Contaminated syringes can lead to dangerous eye infections. In 2011, patients in Florida and Tennessee contracted eye infections from contaminated vials. Some patients became blind, and one patient experienced brain damage after the infection traveled to his brain

As a result, those syringes were recalled by the FDA, which was able to determine which compounding pharmacies allegedly were responsible for the bacterial contamination.

If you or someone you love has experienced an air bubble in the eye after an Avastin injection, you could be eligible for compensation through legal representation.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or Avastin silicone injection class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, Avastin lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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