Avastin, generically known as bevacizumab, is a cancer drug that made its way in to ophthalmology circles in order to treat eye-related diseases.

The drug works by preventing the continued growth of abnormal blood vessels. Abnormal blood vessels in the eye can lead to vision loss, so stopping the abnormal growth of these blood vessels can prevent continued vision loss.

Avastin has been used in the treatment of retinal vein occlusion, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy.

However, complications after Avastin eye injection have led to a number of additional conditions that further compound the initial diseases they were designed to treat.

Problems after Avastin Eye Injection

Some severe problems that have been reported after Avastin eye injection have not been attributed to the drug itself but to the drug’s delivery system. As previously mentioned, Avastin is a cancer drug, and it was not specifically designed to treat eye disease.

Physicians using the drug for eye-related conditions have been relying on compounding pharmacies to fill syringes with the drug so they could be delivered into the eye.

However, not all of the syringes used for the Avastin eye injections are made specifically to be used in the eye, which has caused some issues. Also, the syringes that compounding pharmacies sometimes used to fill the physician’s order for Avastin eye injections include lubrication with silicone oil which can cause a great deal of damage to the eye.

This silicone oil can mix with Avastin and can cause problems. The longer the Avastin injections remain on the shelf unused, the more likely this problem occurs. When the physician injects the drug into the eye, the silicone that has mixed with the Avastin can then be deposited into the eye, causing floaters that affect visual field.

In more serious cases, these silicon particles can lead to:

• Retinal tearing and detachment
• Increased pressure in the eye and glaucoma
• Reduced eye pressure
• Caratacts
• Damage to the cornea
• Vision loss
• Blindness

In addition to issues caused by silicone in the injections, bacterial contaminants may be introduced into the injections, causing patients to develop severe eye infections after Avastin eye injection treatments. These bacterial infections can lead to vision loss, and in more serious cases, these bacterial infections can spread to other parts of the body, and in one case spread to a patient’s brain.

Taking Legal Action After Avastin Eye Injection Complications

If you have suffered from complications after Avastin eye injection treatments, you may be eligible to take legal action and seek compensation for your injuries. Filing a lawsuit can help you recover damages that you incurred relating to medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and earning capacity, emotional distress and more.

An attorney familiar with complications after Avastin eye injection procedures can provide you with a free, no obligation case consultation to discuss the unique details of your case and to help you determine if you qualify to take legal action.

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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