Evaluation of the volume of intraocular injections for patients with neovascular form of age-related macular degeneration in an ophthalmic surgery clinic

Abstract

Purpose. Evaluation of the volume of intravitreal injections in the treatment of neovascular form of age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in an ophthalmological clinic. Material and methods. An analysis was made for 2021–2022. Aflibercept was used in all cases. The course began with 3 monthly loading injections with a further transition to the T&E treatment regimen. Results. A total of 467 nAMD patients received treatment in 2021. In their structure, 87 patients were primary, 380 people were repeated. The average number of injections was 6 during the first year in primary patients and 3 injections in repeat patients. Treatment was denied to 8 primary and 32 repeat patients for various reasons. In total, 522 injections were performed for primary patients and 1140 for repeated ones in 2021. The duration of therapy in all 380 repeat patients ranged from 2 to 9 years. 584 patients received nAMD treatment in 2022. One eye was treated in 492 people, both eyes were treated in 92 people. In their structure, 102 patients were primary, 482 people were repeated. The average number of injections was 6 during the first year in primary patients and 3 injections in repeat patients. Further treatment was denied to 4 primary and 42 repeat patients for various reasons in 2022. In total, 612 injections were performed in primary patients and 1,446 injections in repeat patients in 2022. In total, during the study period (two years), 1134 injections were performed in primary patients and 2586 injections in repeat patients. The number of «discharged» repeat patients was only 8.4 % in 2021 and 8.7 % in 2022. These figures objectively characterize the progressive increase in the total number of patients requiring anti-VEGF therapy for nAMD. It should also be noted that this analysis did not include patients with other pathologies requiring anti-VEGF therapy (diabetic macular edema, post-thrombotic retinopathy with macular edema, subretinal neovascular membrane). Conclusion. The obtained facts point to the need of search for more effective methods of treatment, what will probably allow to develop criteria for increasing the interval or stopping this type of therapy. Keywords: anti-VEGF therapy, intravitreal injections, aflibercept, age-related macular degeneration, volume of therapy