Abstract
Purpose
To examine the outcome after cataract surgery in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections in routine clinical practice.
Methods
We extracted information about patients recorded in electronic databases managing anti-VEGF injections and cataract surgery. We compared Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity and frequency of anti-VEGF injections before and after cataract surgery.
Results
We identified 89 eyes from 89 patients who had cataract surgery after being treated with a median of 10 (range 3–36) anti-VEGF injections for neovascular AMD. Visual acuity improved by a mean of 7.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.6–9.6] ETDRS letters in the first 6 months after cataract surgery. The need of anti-VEGF injections did not change after cataract surgery with an average of 1.5 in the 6 months before surgery versus 1.7 in the 6 months after surgery (p = 0.25). Visual improvement was greater in patients when the time from latest injection to cataract surgery was lower.
Conclusions
Cataract surgery improves vision in patients undergoing treatment for neovascular AMD. Cataract surgery was not associated with an increased need for anti-VEGF treatment and patients who were in active anti-VEGF treatment had better visual outcomes than patients who had cataract surgery after long injection-free periods.
To examine the outcome after cataract surgery in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections in routine clinical practice.
Methods
We extracted information about patients recorded in electronic databases managing anti-VEGF injections and cataract surgery. We compared Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity and frequency of anti-VEGF injections before and after cataract surgery.
Results
We identified 89 eyes from 89 patients who had cataract surgery after being treated with a median of 10 (range 3–36) anti-VEGF injections for neovascular AMD. Visual acuity improved by a mean of 7.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.6–9.6] ETDRS letters in the first 6 months after cataract surgery. The need of anti-VEGF injections did not change after cataract surgery with an average of 1.5 in the 6 months before surgery versus 1.7 in the 6 months after surgery (p = 0.25). Visual improvement was greater in patients when the time from latest injection to cataract surgery was lower.
Conclusions
Cataract surgery improves vision in patients undergoing treatment for neovascular AMD. Cataract surgery was not associated with an increased need for anti-VEGF treatment and patients who were in active anti-VEGF treatment had better visual outcomes than patients who had cataract surgery after long injection-free periods.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Acta Ophthalmologica |
| Volume | 94 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| Pages (from-to) | 755–760 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| ISSN | 1755-3768 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2016 |
