What is Fluorescein angiography?

• Why is the procedure necessary?
• How is the test performed?
• Are there any side-effects?
• Can I eat and drink before the test?
• Should I inform you of my past medical history?
• When will I get the results of the test?
• Can I drive home?
• Can I eat and drink before the test?
• see an example
• Safety

Photography alone

• To help the doctor confirm a diagnosis.
• To provide guidelines for treatment.
• To keep a permanent record of the vessels at the back of the eye
• see an example

• Your pupils will be dilated with eye drops.
• An injection of yellow dye is given into a vein in your arm.
• A series of photographs is taken as the dye enters the vessels at the back of your eye.

• During the injection you may feel warm or experience a hot flush. This only lasts seconds then disappears. 
• Your skin will be pale yellow and your urine coloured fluorescent green. This is entirely normal and may take two days to wear off.

For this your pupils will need to be dilated with eye drops, so you should not drive. If you do drive, staff may have to refuse to put drops in your your eye and cancel the procedure.

Dilating your pupils stops you reading, and lights become very bright, especially sunlight.

Some people do drive, especially if they wait an hour or two after the drops are put in, so they wear off a little, but this is not ideal.

Very occasionally the drops last 3 days, but usually they last 1 hour with maximum effect, and are 80% better after 3 hours. Reading or close work may still be slightly difficult after this. Using sunglasses while your pupils are dilated is very helpful indeed.