Visudyne® (verteporfin for injection) therapy for wet AMD | Visudyne (verteporfin for injection) therapy for AMD

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About AMD
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Treating AMD
Visudyne
- How Visudyne Works
- Receiving Treatment
- What to Expect
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Common Questions
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On the day of your treatment, you will receive an infusion of Visudyne into a vein in your arm (or maybe your hand) for about 10 minutes.
At the end of the infusion, your doctor will numb your eye with eye drops.
Fifteen minutes after the infusion begins, the doctor will place a special contact lens on your eye.
A low-energy, non-thermal laser is then directed through the contact lens onto the affected area of the macula.
The laser activates Visudyne within the abnormal blood vessels to seal the vessels and stop the leakage.

Preparing for Visudyne therapy

On the day of your therapy, be sure to bring the following items to your appointment:

Dark sunglasses
Gloves
A wide-brimmed hat
Long pants
A tight-weave, light-colored, long-sleeved shirt
Socks and shoes

Arrange for transportation before therapy

If you typically drive, don't attempt to drive yourself home from treatment.

You will be sensitive to light

Visudyne therapy causes your skin and eyes to become temporarily sensitive to light. As a precaution, you must avoid direct sunlight and bright lights for 5 days after treatment.

Carefully following your ophthalmologist's or retinal specialist's instructions, before and after treatment, will help maximize your chances of treatment success and minimize the risk of complications.

Click here for Prescribing Information for Visudyne to view a full list of post-therapy precautions.

Is Visudyne for me?

Visudyne is a treatment to help slow the loss of vision in persons with predominantly classic wet AMD.

Important Safety Information

Visudyne therapy is not for everyone. People who have an abnormal sensitivity to light (a condition called porphyria) and those with allergies to any of the ingredients should not receive Visudyne. (Your doctor has a list of ingredients in Visudyne.) Check with your doctor or healthcare professional to see if you might be allergic to any component of Visudyne therapy. Only your doctor can determine if Visudyne is right for you.

Between 1% and 5% of patients experienced a substantial decrease in vision in the first 7 days after treatment, though some patients achieved partial recovery. Patients who experience substantial vision loss should consult their ophthalmologist or retinal specialist immediately. The most commonly reported adverse events (10-30%) were injection site reactions, temporary back pain during injection, changes in vision, including blurring, decreased sharpness in vision, and gaps in vision.

Patients should avoid direct sunlight or bright indoor light for 5 days following therapy with Visudyne.

Patients who have to go outdoors in daylight after treatment must protect all parts of their skin and eyes by wearing protective clothing and dark glasses. Ultraviolet (UV) sunscreens are not effective in protecting against photosensitivity reactions.