Ayah Etyem, PA-C

Most patients are surprised by how little they feel. Before the injection, your eye is numbed, and Ayah will talk you through each step as it happens. Many patients describe a brief moment of pressure rather than pain.

The part that worries people most, the needle itself, is usually not what they notice. What patients tend to remember is the antiseptic used to clean the eye beforehand, which can sting for a few seconds, and a scratchy feeling afterward as it wears off.

If your first injection was uncomfortable, tell us. There are several numbing options and small adjustments that make a real difference, and we note your preferences so the next visit goes better than the last.

You will feel pressure on the eye and, for a second or two, may see a shadow or a dark spot as the medication enters. Some patients notice a few floaters afterward that clear within a day or two.

Your eye stays open during the injection, held gently with a small instrument, and you will be asked to look away from the injection site so you do not watch the needle. The injection itself takes only a few seconds.

Afterward the eye often feels scratchy or gritty for several hours, which is the antiseptic wearing off rather than the injection. Artificial tears help. Most patients drive themselves home and return to their normal day.

The injection takes a few seconds. The appointment takes longer, mostly because of the imaging and exam that come first, along with the time the numbing drops need to work.

If you also need OCT imaging or a dilated exam that day, plan for more time and arrange a ride home, since dilation leaves your vision blurry for several hours. For a straightforward injection visit without dilation, expect to be in and out.

Because most patients on injections come in regularly for years, we work to keep these visits efficient. Ayah's schedule is built around getting you your medication on time without a long wait.

There is more than one way to numb the eye, and the right choice differs from patient to patient. Options include numbing drops, a gel that sits on the surface longer, or an injection of anesthetic under the surface of the eye for patients who need more.

Ayah will ask what you prefer and adjust based on how previous injections went. Patients who found their last injection uncomfortable often do well with a different approach rather than simply enduring the same one.

If you are anxious about the injection, say so when you arrive. That is useful information, not an inconvenience, and it changes how we approach the visit.

That depends on your condition and how your eye responds. Some patients start at every four weeks, and many are able to stretch to six, eight, or twelve weeks over time as their retina stabilizes.

Your physician sets the interval based on your OCT imaging and exam findings, and it is reassessed as your treatment continues. The goal is the longest interval that still keeps the disease controlled.

Keeping to the schedule matters more than most patients realize. Missed or delayed injections are one of the main reasons vision is lost in conditions that are otherwise treatable, which is why we work hard to make these visits easy to keep.

You can return to your normal day. Most patients drive themselves home, and there are no restrictions on reading, watching television, or light activity.

Your eye may feel scratchy for several hours and you may see a few new floaters, both of which are expected and resolve on their own. Artificial tears help with the grittiness. Avoid rubbing the eye.

Call us right away if you develop worsening pain, increasing redness, or vision that gets worse over the day or two after your injection rather than better. Those are uncommon but worth a prompt call, and Shane Retina has an on-call physician available around the clock.

Eye injections deliver medication directly into the eye, in a much higher dose than drops can achieve. They are the standard treatment for several of the most common retinal conditions.

Ayah gives injections for wet macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, and retinal vein occlusion. Injections are also used for newer dry AMD treatments including Syfovre and Izervay.

The medication is chosen by your physician based on your diagnosis. Most are anti-VEGF drugs, which reduce the abnormal blood vessel growth and leaking that damage the retina.

Ayah sees patients at both Shane Retina offices in Sarasota. Our University Parkway office sits just west of I-75 in University Health Park, convenient for North Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, and Parrish. Our South Tamiami Trail office is just south of Bee Ridge Road, serving South Sarasota and Siesta Key.

Ayah was born and raised in Bradenton, and a good share of her patients come from her own community across Manatee County.

If one office is more convenient than the other, tell our team when you schedule. To make an appointment, call (941) 351-1200.

To make an appointment with Ayah, call Shane Retina at (941) 351-1200. Our team will find a time at whichever Sarasota office is more convenient for you.

In most cases you can schedule directly without a referral, though some insurance plans may require one. If you are experiencing sudden symptoms such as a curtain or shadow over your vision, a sudden increase in floaters or flashes, or sudden vision loss, let us know when you call so we can arrange to see you as soon as possible.

You can also request an appointment through our contact page, and a member of our team will follow up with you.