Handheld Vibrator Versus Topical Eye Drops as Anesthesia for Intravitreal Injections

A total of 80 patients will be recruited for part 1 of the study. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to a standard anesthetic group or standard anesthetic with vibration groups. All intravitreal drugs will be delivered via 30 gauge needles through the pars plana in the inferotemporal quadrant 3.5 to 4 mm posterior to the limbus. Once recruited, a single eye requiring injection for each enrolled patient will be randomized into 1 of 2 groups: aesthesiometer measurement alone with sham vibration (vibrator will not be triggered) (Group 1) or handheld vibrator application and triggering followed by aesthesiometer measurement (Group 2). The vibrator will be applied to the lower eyelid while retracting it during standard intravitreal injection prepped with topical anesthetic (Proparacaine 1%) and Betadine. The main outcome measure of will be patient comfort, as measured by the patient using a standardized Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale.

An additional 30 eyes of 30 healthy patients not requiring intravitreal injection will be recruited to determine the effect of vibrator application and triggering to the lower lid on corneal and conjunctival (inferotemporal quadrant) sensation as measured using an aesthesiometer. No topical anesthetic will be applied prior to esthesiometry measurements are taken with and without vibration triggering.

All patient identifying information will be removed and patients will be identified with a random number. Data will be checked regularly by a data monitoring committee. Patient records will be reviewed and the following data will be collected: demographic data (age, gender, injected eye, reason for injection), best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and complications/adverse events associated with intravitreal injections. Statistical analyses will include univariate comparisons between treatment groups using the Student t-test for continuous variables and χ2 test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables.

Inclusion criteria

• Clinical diagnosis of neovascular age related macular degeneration requiring anti-VEGF intravitreal injection in the routine course of their care

Exclusion criteria

• History of endophthalmitis, prior ocular surgery except cataract surgery, globe rupture, retinal detachment, neurotrophic keratopathy, a history of corneal epithelial basement membrane dystrophy, recent corneal abrasion or trauma, history of infectious keratitis, lower eyelid pathology, those with a previously documented hypersensitivity to ophthalmic 5% povidone-iodine solution (Betadine; Alcon Labs, Fort Worth, TX) or inability to grade pain using the pain scale, pregnant patients, institutionalized patients (nursing home residents, prisoners), those with a history of diabetes