FFA & ICG

1. On arrival at our Ophthalmology clinic your vision will be tested.

2. Your pupils will then be dilated with eye drops; these drops might blur your vision, particularly near vision, for five to six hours. It is therefore advisable not to drive home after your appointment.

3. You will have the procedure explained to you and you will be asked to sign a consent form to agree to the procedure. Please feel free to ask any questions.

4. Once your pupils are dilated, you will be taken into the imaging room.

5. You will be seated at a camera with your arm supported, and some (flash) photos will be taken.

6. A cannula (small plastic tube) will be inserted into a vein in the back of your hand.

7. The fluorescein dye and/or indocyanine green will be injected into your arm. A series of flash photos are taken, whilst the dye enters the retinal or choroidal vessels at the back of your eye.

8. The whole test only takes about 10 to 30 minutes. Please expect to be in the eye clinic for one to two hours so that we can do the necessary pre and post test checks.

9. It is very important to keep your eye in the position requested by the examiner.

10. You will be asked about your general health. Please tell us if you have any breathing or heart problems, are pregnant or on renal dialysis, or have photosensitive epilepsy. It is also very important to inform us of any allergies particularly to fluorescein, iodine or iodide, medications, Sulpha drugs or latex. We will use FFA or ICG cautiously in patients that are allergic to shellfish or seafood.

– The Fluorescein dye will give your skin a yellow tinge and your urine will be bright yellow for one or two days. The ICG procedure does not affect the color of your skin or urine.

– You might experience a hot flush sensation as the dye is injected.

– One in 10 patients might feel nauseous or short of breath, or develop a transient rash, but this rarely lasts for more than a few seconds.

– In rare instances, flash photography may trigger an episode of epilepsy or tonic-clonic seizure.

– There is a very remote risk of a severe allergic reaction to these intravenous drugs. For this reason, this examination takes place with an Anesthesiology Consultant.

After the Fluorescein and / or Indocyanine green angiogram the cannula will be left in your hand for 30 minutes. Once we are certain that you have not suffered any adverse reactions, the cannula will be removed. The doctor will discuss the results with you and make recommendations for any treatment you might need.