Lucentis, although injected directly into the eye, can theoretically escape into the bloodstream and increase the risk for adverse events such as stroke, heart attack, etc. The risk of this is low, but may be higher in people who are already prone to blood clots. Another medication, Macugen, has also been used to treat wet macular degeneration. It is thought to have fewer systemic side effects than Lucentis or Avastin, but is also less efficacious than the latter two medications. In addition, both photocoagulation and photodynamic therapy have been used to treat wet macular degeneration. New medical therapies are also in the pipeline. You should ask your ophthalmologist about the other treatment modalities that would be best for you.