What to know about chronic noninfectious uveitis
Your doctor is talking to you about your treatment options because you have been diagnosed with chronic noninfectious uveitis affecting the back of your eye.
What is chronic noninfectious uveitis?
If you have been diagnosed with chronic noninfectious uveitis affecting the back of your eye, here’s what you need to know:
Uveitis is inflammation inside the eye that affects the uvea (the middle layer of the eye).
THE 2 TYPES OF UVEITIS
Infectious uveitis
- Caused by viral, bacterial, or other type of infection
Noninfectious uveitis
- NOT caused by a virus or bacteria
- Exact cause of the inflammation may be unknown
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF UVEITIS
- Eye pain
- Eye redness
- Dark, floating spots in your field of vision (floaters)
- Sensitivity to light
- Blurred vision
- Loss of vision that gets worse over time
Uveitis is often a chronic disease, meaning that the symptoms you experience may be persistent, lasting for months or years.
- You might also have “flare-ups” of inflammation that can last for short or long periods
- Uveitis can cause serious damage, possibly leading to permanent vision loss
Each time a flare-up of inflammation happens it can damage the tissue of the eye, and the damage can add up over time.
- Early diagnosis and treatment are important because of the complications caused by the chronic inflammation of uveitis
Understanding the severity of chronic noninfectious uveitis
10% to 15% of all blindness is caused by uveitis
Uveitis in the back of the eye is a serious condition that can cause vision loss over time
- Every time a flare-up of inflammation happens, it can damage ocular tissue
- The damage adds up over time, and can lead to permanent vision loss and sometimes blindness
Reducing your risk of recurrent inflammation is important
- Keeping the inflammation in your eye under control is one way to decrease the risk of damage that adds up over time
- Treatment may be required for months to years as well as medical supervision to manage inflammation
Indication
RETISERT® (fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant) 0.59 mg is used to treat an inflammation in the back of the eye that is not caused by an infection, called chronic non-infectious uveitis.
Important Safety Information
- RETISERT® (fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant) 0.59 mg should not be used if you have an infection of the eye from viruses, bacteria, fungi or fungal diseases.
- After receiving the RETISERT® implant, you should periodically see an eye doctor for follow-up examinations of both eyes.
- As with any surgical procedure, there is risk involved. Complications can include injury to the eye; infection; mechanical complication, movement or ejection of the implant; and wound complications following the surgery.
- After receiving the RETISERT® implant, nearly all patients will experience an immediate and temporary decrease in vision in the implanted eye that lasts for approximately 1 to 4 weeks following the surgery.
- Based on clinical studies, within 3 years after receiving the RETISERT® implant, approximately 77% of patients require medications to lower pressure in the eye, and approximately 37% of patients will require a surgical procedure to control pressure in the eye.
- Long-term use of corticosteroids may result in an increased risk of glaucoma (high pressure in the eye).
- Based on clinical studies, within 3 years after receiving the RETISERT® implant, nearly all patients who have not already had cataracts will develop them and require surgery.
- The most common side effects, occurring in 50-90% of patients, were cataract, increased pressure in the eye, surgery complications and eye pain. Headache was also reported in 33% of patients.
You are encouraged to report side effects to the FDA. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Bausch + Lomb at 1‑800‑321‑4576 or FDA at 1‑800‑FDA‑1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
Please click here for full Prescribing Information for RETISERT®.
Indication and Important Safety Information
