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How Does RVO Affect My Vision?

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What is VEGF and how does it relate to RVO?
What is visual acuity and how does it relate to RVO?
A Retina Specialist can help

What is VEGF and what is VEGF's role in macular edema following RVO?

The eye contains a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF. The role of VEGF is to help grow new blood vessels.

  • Macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is caused by an excess of VEGF in addition to vessel blockages. This leads to the abnormal blood vessel growth that can cause vision problems

Eye With VEGF

Image of Eye Showing Increased VEGF Causing Abnormal Vessel Growth

What is visual acuity and how does it relate to RVO?

Your doctor can detect changes or problems in your vision with a visual acuity test. Visual acuity tests find the smallest letters you can see on a standard eye chart. Visual acuity is the sharpness of your vision.

Visual Acuity Chart

Visual Acuity Chart
  • The farther down an eye chart you can see, the higher your visual acuity
  • Seeing more eye chart letters than before means that vision is getting better
  • Seeing fewer eye chart letters than before means that vision is getting worse

Visual acuity is expressed as a fraction such as 20/40 or a single number such as 1.5. 

  • The lower the bottom number in the fraction, the sharper your distance vision 

Following up with your doctor is necessary for tracking your vision over time and your progress with LUCENTIS.

Watch the video to see how RVO can change vision over time

This video is meant to show you a range of symptoms you may experience. Symptoms can vary depending on the severity level of the disease and will be unique for each person. If you experience any problems with vision, contact your Retina Specialist right away.

A Retina Specialist can help

What happens if RVO is left untreated? 

  • If left untreated, macular edema following RVO can cause problems with vision
  • If you think you are experiencing problems with vision from macular edema following RVO, make an appointment with a Retina Specialist right away

Appointment Calendar

Make a Retina Specialist Appointment

If you do not have a Retina Specialist, ask your ophthalmologist or primary care physician about a referral or use the Find a Retina Specialist tool.

Find a Retina Specialist

Financial Assistance Options

Financial Assistance Options

There may be options to help you afford LUCENTIS, no matter what type of health insurance you have. Learn about Genentech Access Solutions.

Find Financial Assistance
NEXT: About LUCENTIS for RVO

Who is LUCENTIS for? LUCENTIS® is a prescription medicine for the treatment of patients with macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

What important safety information should I know about LUCENTIS? You should not use LUCENTIS if you have an infection in or around the eye or are allergic to LUCENTIS or any of its ingredients. LUCENTIS is a prescription medication given by injection into the eye, and it has side effects. LUCENTIS is not for everyone. Some LUCENTIS patients have had detached retinas and serious eye infections. If your eye becomes red, sensitive to light, or painful, or if you have a change in vision, call or visit your eye doctor right away. 

Some patients have had increased eye pressure before and within 1 hour of an injection. Your eye doctor should check your eye pressure and eye health before and after your LUCENTIS injection. 

Uncommonly, LUCENTIS patients have had serious, sometimes fatal, problems related to blood clots, such as heart attacks or strokes. 

Some LUCENTIS patients have serious side effects related to the injection. These include serious infections inside the eye, detached retinas, and cataracts. The most common eye-related side effects are increased redness in the white of the eye, eye pain, small specks in vision, and increased eye pressure. The most common non–eye-related side effects are nose and throat infections, anemia, nausea and cough. 

LUCENTIS is for prescription use only.

You may report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. You may also report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835-2555.

For additional Safety Information, please talk to your doctor and see the LUCENTIS full Prescribing Information.