What is Eye Angiography?

The questions of what eye angiography is and how it is carried out are of considerable interest to those meeting the method for the first time. New developments occur in eye health day by day. These technologies have reached such an advanced level that even intervening in a structure as delicate and complex as the eye has become straightforward. Anatomically the eye consists of a front, a middle and a back section. Eye angiography is essentially the photographing of the retinal and choroidal vessels after they have been stained, using fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA) or indocyanine green angiography (ICG). Circulation disorders in the posterior segment of the eye are examined in detail this way. Through the images obtained, the following conditions can be identified:

• Diabetic retinopathy
• Age-related macular degeneration
• Retinal vein and artery occlusion
• Central serous chorioretinopathy
• Tumours of the eye
• Uveitis
• Conditions of the retina

Alongside these there are other situations in which eye angiography is carried out. Its basic aim is to examine the vessels of the eye. It is also used to identify tumours within the eye and other problems inside it. Areas that are bleeding are examined, and other problems within the eye can be identified easily. Eye angiography also makes it easier to examine infections occurring in the eye. Before laser treatment, the treatment plan is decided with its help. It also has an important part to play in identifying and treating a great many conditions that develop with age. Carried out for many purposes, this angiography reveals the situations that threaten eye health.

How is Eye Angiography Carried Out?

The questions of how eye angiography is carried out and whether it is risky are of interest to patients. Patients feel no pain during the procedure. A special drop is applied to dilate the pupil. This is painless and takes a short time. The dilated pupils are then examined with a special machine. Light is used to photograph the area at the back of the person's eye. Thanks to the drops applied and the substances given, the vessels at the back become much more visible. The leaks, breaks and retinal problems in those visible vessels are identified easily this way. Through eye angiography, defects of the eye are seen very clearly. This method, which gives very clear results, carries very little risk. No pain, soreness or discomfort is felt during eye angiography.

How Long Does Eye Angiography Take?

Eye angiography takes a very short time. The vessels at the back of the eye are stained with special substances and dyes, so that problems which would otherwise be invisible are revealed. It is among the most reliable methods for reaching a diagnosis. Before eye angiography, special eye drops are applied to the patient. No needle, cutting instrument or anything else that enters the eye is used in this procedure. The machine used in eye angiography allows the back of the eye to be imaged through the pupil. No pain or soreness occurs during the procedure. The light and lens used make it easier to see inside the eye. Drops are used to dilate the pupil and fluorescein to make the vessels change colour and stand out. The symptoms met most often after the procedure are nausea and a change in the colour of urine. Both the nausea and the coloured urine can come from the fluorescein dye. Because no pain is felt, this straightforward technique is used in a great many situations. The fluorescein given into the veins makes the vessels of the eye stand out, so that a clear map of the vascular system emerges. Breaks, blockages and leaks in the vessels can be imaged easily this way. The procedure takes approximately ten to twenty minutes.

When is Eye Angiography Carried Out?

Another question asked about this method is when eye angiography is carried out. A great many methods are used to image the eye when eye health is assessed. Methods such as measuring eye pressure are carried out with machines, and patients bring their eyes close to them. Through the light and lenses in the machine, the inside of the eye is imaged. In eye angiography too, drops are first applied to dilate the pupils, so that the inside of the eye can be imaged through them. A line is opened in the arm and a special substance is given so that the vessels within the eye take on colour. The procedure is very short. There are many reasons for carrying out eye angiography. They are:

• People with a tumour or inflammation of the eye (uveitis)
• Patients with diabetes
• Macular oedema caused by diabetes or retinal vein occlusion
• Identifying vascular occlusion in the eye
• Central serous chorioretinopathy (fluid build-up in the eye)
• Identifying and treating age-related macular degeneration
• Identifying bleeding in the eye

Through eye angiography, problems within the eye are revealed very clearly. The eye is a highly complex structure, and problems arising within it can lead to refractive errors and to other situations. Identifying those problems early and applying treatment matters. Through eye angiography the structure of the vessels of the eye is revealed and the problems in them are easily identified. Blockage, leakage and breaks in the vessels are observed clearly this way. It is used in diabetes and in planning laser treatment of the retina. Because diabetes can damage the vessels of the retina, it is also used frequently in monitoring patients with the condition.

Risks of Eye Angiography

The risks of eye angiography are almost non-existent. It is an extremely reliable method, through which existing conditions are easily observed. Patients are not put to sleep and no local anaesthetic is applied. There is no need for them to be admitted. Only drops and substances given through a line are used, and the inside of the eye is observed with the angiography machine. The side effects that appear most often afterwards are nausea and changes in the colour of urine. These are temporary, and people can carry on with their normal lives after the procedure. The effect of the substance applied to dilate the pupil passes in time and the pupils return to normal. A serious allergic reaction to the dye can occur, although very rarely; for this reason, any history of allergy should be reported to the doctor before the procedure. Signs of a Torn Retina