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Cataract surgery in patients with neovascular age‐related macular degeneration
Author(s) -
Kessel Line,
Koefoed Theil Pernille,
Lykke Sørensen Torben,
Munch Inger Christine
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/aos.13120
Subject(s) - medicine , macular degeneration , cataract surgery , visual acuity , diabetic retinopathy , ophthalmology , surgery , ranibizumab , diabetes mellitus , bevacizumab , chemotherapy , endocrinology
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.