Garweg, Justus G; Traine, Peter G; Garweg, Richard A; Wons, Juliana; Gerhardt, Christin; Pfister, Isabel B (2022). Continued anti-VEGF treatment does not prevent recurrences in eyes with stable neovascular age-related macular degeneration using a treat-and-extend regimen: a retrospective case series. Eye, 36(4), pp. 862-868. Springer Nature 10.1038/s41433-021-01562-6
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BACKGROUND
The continuation of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment after achieving stability in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration has generally been advocated. In our own patients, we thought to assess whether continued anti-VEGF treatment is capable of preventing recurrences.
METHODS
In this retrospective observational case series, patients with stable disease either opted to continue treatment every 12-14 weeks (Group 1) or stopped treatment with subsequent follow-up visits every 8-12 weeks (Group 2).
RESULTS
Of the 103 eyes of 103 patients achieving stability, 49 eyes continued treatment (Group 1), whereas treatment was stopped in 54 eyes undergoing regular follow-up (Group 2). Recurrent disease was observed in 21 (42.9%) and 33 (61.1%) cases in Group 1 and Group 2, respectively (p = 0.08). Time between achieving stable disease and recurrence was comparable between Group 1 and Group 2 (11.1 ± 8.2 months vs. 9.2 ± 6.7 months; p = 0.43). The number of visits between achieving stability and disease recurrence was similar, but not the number of injections (3.5 ± 2.0 vs. 0.2 ± 0.4; p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
Continuing anti-VEGF therapy after achieving functional and morphological stability every 12-14 weeks does not prevent recurrences. Patients deserve to be informed of a potential lifetime risk of recurrences, even under continued therapy.
Item Type: |
Journal Article (Original Article) |
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Division/Institute: |
04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Head Organs and Neurology (DKNS) > Clinic of Ophthalmology |
UniBE Contributor: |
Garweg, Justus |
Subjects: |
600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health |
ISSN: |
1476-5454 |
Publisher: |
Springer Nature |
Language: |
English |
Submitter: |
Sebastian Wolf |
Date Deposited: |
19 Jan 2022 07:25 |
Last Modified: |
05 Dec 2022 15:58 |
Publisher DOI: |
10.1038/s41433-021-01562-6 |
PubMed ID: |
33941877 |
BORIS DOI: |
10.48350/162743 |
URI: |
https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/162743 |
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