Abstract
Purpose :
Wet age related macular degeneration (AMD) is known to have good short term visual improvement to ranibizumab, however long term 7-8 year SEVEN-UP study has shown divergent outcomes.
The purpose of our study is to assess the long-term outcome of 8 years after initiation of ranibizumab therapy in wet AMD patients at a district general hospital in United Kingdom.
Methods :
This is a retrospective study of the eighth year outcome of the first cohort of patients treated at Northampton General Hospital, United Kingdom with ranibizumab in 2009. The primary outcome is the percentage of patients with visual improvement 15 letters or more on EDTRS or equivalent. The secondary outcome is the change of central retinal thickness (CRT, μm).
Exclusion criteria are those receiving previous Avastin, photodynamic therapy, not completing the initial loading dose regimen and missing notes.
Results :
Ninety eyes of 72 patients were included in the study in the first year of ranibizumab injections, 20 eyes of 19 patients were followed up in the eighth year after initial treatment. Two out of the 20 eyes did not receive injection in the 8th year follow-up. Thirteen studied eyes (65%) had 15 or more letters gained in comparison with initial VA prior to the first injection, average letter gain was 24 letters (SEM (standard error of mean), 5.40; P<0.005, paired t-test; 95% CI (confidence interval) 14 - 35). Two patients had worse VA than initial VA before first injection.
Ninety per cent patients had a CRT reduction. Average CRT change was -116.9μm eight years after ranibizumab treatment (SEM, 23.94; P<0.005, paired t-test; 95% CI 60.13 - 153.97).
Conclusions :
More than 50% patients remain to have improved VA 8 years after initial ranibizumab treatment and majority patients have reduced CRT. Our results show a long term VA improvement with ranibizumab injections.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.