Safety of bilateral intravitreal injections delivered in a teaching institution

Intravitreal injection is one of the most common in-office procedures performed in ophthalmic practices. In teaching institutions such as the Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospitals, patient care is delivered by physicians-in-training, while mastering intravitreal injection technique. Infectious endophthalmitis and visual loss are the most feared complications of intravitreal injections, especially in the context of recent outbreaks caused by contaminated compounded medications. Ophthalmologists and ophthalmic educators increasingly face the dilemma of timing as well as balancing the risks and benefits of bilateral treatments required by many patients. In this editorial, we discuss published reports of bilateral injections, summarize our experience with bilateral intravitreal injections in a teaching setting at the Miami VA Hospital and list our recommendations for minimizing the risk of infectious endophthalmitis.