Visual acuity dynamics after phacoemulsification in patients with “wet” form of age-related macular degeneration, treated by intravitreal angiogenesis inhibitor injections

Design: prospective non-randomized experimental longitudinal cohort study. The aim of the study: to evaluate the visual acuity after phacoemulsification in patients with the “wet” form of age-related macular degeneration, treated by intravitreal angiogenesis inhibitor injections. Materials: 48 patients (48 eyes) with the “wet” form of AMD, treated by intravitreal angiogenesis inhibitor injections, and incipient cataract. All eyes in the study had a diagnosis of “wet” AMD and underwent cataract surgery. They were followed for a minimum of two years after the cataract surgery. The mean age of patients was 78.16 ± 5 years. There were 36 female (75 %) and 12 male (25 %) patients. Results: All patients were retrospectively divided into two groups. Group No. 1 consisted of 23 patients — operated within a year of the diagnosis of “wet” AMD, and group No. 2 which consisted of 25 patients who had a diagnosis of “wet” AMD for longer than one year prior to the cataract surgery. The mean preoperative visual acuity in the 1st group was 0.16 ± 0.07 (median 0.15), and in patients of group 2 — 0.23 ± 0.06 (median 0,2). Mean visual acuity immediately before surgery in the 1st group was 0.13 ± 0.04 (median 0.09), in the 2nd group — 0.12 ± 0.04 (median 0,08). After surgery, in the 1st group, mean visual acuity was — 0.28 ± 0.08 (median 0.25), in the 2nd group —0.18 ± 0.07 (median 0,15). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant, p < 0.01, t-test. Statistically significant visual acuity increase after surgery was registered in both groups and was preserved after one and two years, when compared to the data before surgery: for the 1st group — 0.13 and 0.1; for the 2nd group — 0,1 and 0.07, respectively (p < 0,01, Wilcoxon criterion). Conclusions: Phacoemulsification is reasonable for eyes with the “wet” form of age-related macular degeneration. Patients with shorter “wet” AMD duration obtain a higher visual acuity increase after cataract surgery. Statistically significant visual acuity increase after surgery is preserved in the majority of patients during next 2 years of follow-up.