Eye injection side effects can occur when silicone oil mixes with the injectable medicine Avastin (bevacizumab).

Avastin is a cancer treatment drug, but doctors also prescribe it to treat eye conditions. Avastin has found application as an off-label treatment for age-related macular degeneration, retinal vein occlusion, diabetic macular edema, and diabetic retinopathy.

Although these are off-label uses for the drug, doctors are allowed to prescribe Avastin to treat these conditions. Unfortunately, the injections used to dispense Avastin come with a risk of eye injection side effects.

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.

Eye Injection Side Effects Due to Preparation

Because Avastin is not FDA-approved to treat eye problems, the drug company is not allowed to market Avastin for this purpose. In order to obtain Avastin in a syringe, doctors need to turn to compound pharmacists to prepare Avastin in syringes.

Such syringes may not be designed to inject medicine into the eyes. The needle, barrel and plunger of the syringes are lubricated with silicone oil, which has a tendency to migrate from its intended position.

As soon as one of the syringes is filled with Avastin, the silicone from the barrel can mix with the medication. If the filled syringe sits for several weeks before being used, more silicone can seep into the medicine. Pushing the plunger to dispense Avastin into the eye can cause even more silicone to mix with the medicine.

Avastin itself is not the problem. The eye injection side effects stem from the silicone-coated syringes used as the delivery system. Eye injection side effects occur when the silicone particles settle in the eyes and leave behind silicone floaters.

Silicone particles in the eyes have resulted in a number of issues for many patients. These potential problems 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

Silicone is not the only danger patients could face from Avastin eye injections. Because the medication is prepared away from the doctor’s office and in advance of its use, the risk of bacterial exposure increases.

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. Those syringes were recalled by the FDA, which found the pharmacies that were allegedly responsible for the bacterial contamination.

If you have suffered eye injection side effects after receiving Avastin injections, you could qualify 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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