Prompt Intervention Improves Outcomes of Repeat DMEK

In the largest patient series to date, Gillies et al. analyzed the long-term outcomes of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) who had received intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF agents. They found good long-term outcomes from baseline up to 6 years, with a drop in visual acuity (VA) after that point in eyes that were still being treated. For this observational study, the researchers analyzed data on 1,212 eyes. Patients’ initial visits took place between 2007 and 2010 in Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Mean follow-up time was 53.5 months, with 549 patients (45%) continuing to be treated after 60 months. Mean VA improved from 55.1 letters to 61.4 letters after 6 months and remained above mean presenting VA for 6 years. However, after 7 years, mean VA had dropped 2.6 letters below baseline for the 131 eyes that were still being followed. The researchers noted that patients tended to discontinue treatment once they had lost the initial gain in VA. The patients in this study received a slightly higher number of injections compared with those in other studies, the researchers noted. A median of 6 injections and 9 visits was recorded during the first year; this dropped to 5 treatments and 7 to 9 visits per year thereafter. The rate of serious adverse events was low.