Purpose: Worldwide real-world data showed that the letters gain was much lower than pivotal trials. This gap can have many reasons, including the onset of intravitreal therapy was too late both for delay in diagnosis and for long waiting list; the number of injections was much lower than ideal. Here, we shared our experience on a new model for management of IVI in naïve patients with neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration (nAMD). Setting/Venue: Intravitreal Injection Centre of Eye Clinic, Policlinico of Bari, Italy. Methods: The IVI Centre was designed to allow a one-way and fast track to patients needing an IVI of any drug. Every patient access is recorded in electronic form and data are collected in a single database. The center consists of five main rooms: waiting room, reception, examination room, operating room provided with ArcSterile, discharge room. Best correct VA (BCVA) was assessed by means of Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters chart. Each patient performed optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) in both eyes. The treatment schedule was confirmed or modified, based on the current examination. Then, the patient received IVI of ranibizumab or aflibercept. Results: Among 1795 eyes treated during the first year of activity of new IVI Center, 310 eyes naïve with nAMD were selected. To limit possible confounding factors, we decided to study only the 197 patients with a unilateral disease. 52.8% were male, average age was 77±8 years. 4.6 weeks is the middle time between the first IVI and the second one, 9.3 weeks between the first and the third one. Among patients that completed 52 weeks of follow-up, the average number of IV was 7±2.2. BCVA improved of 9±16.4 letters on average and macular thickness decrease of 102±163.8 μm, with no significant difference between ranibizumb and aflibercept groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: A diagnostic and therapeutic center dedicated only to IVI seemed to be useful in the management of nAMD, improving the functional and anatomic outcome after IVI and the patients’ compliance too.
A new model for management of intravitreal injections: Bari Policlinico real world experience
MARIA OLIVA, Grassi
2019-01-01
Abstract
Purpose: Worldwide real-world data showed that the letters gain was much lower than pivotal trials. This gap can have many reasons, including the onset of intravitreal therapy was too late both for delay in diagnosis and for long waiting list; the number of injections was much lower than ideal. Here, we shared our experience on a new model for management of IVI in naïve patients with neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration (nAMD). Setting/Venue: Intravitreal Injection Centre of Eye Clinic, Policlinico of Bari, Italy. Methods: The IVI Centre was designed to allow a one-way and fast track to patients needing an IVI of any drug. Every patient access is recorded in electronic form and data are collected in a single database. The center consists of five main rooms: waiting room, reception, examination room, operating room provided with ArcSterile, discharge room. Best correct VA (BCVA) was assessed by means of Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters chart. Each patient performed optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) in both eyes. The treatment schedule was confirmed or modified, based on the current examination. Then, the patient received IVI of ranibizumab or aflibercept. Results: Among 1795 eyes treated during the first year of activity of new IVI Center, 310 eyes naïve with nAMD were selected. To limit possible confounding factors, we decided to study only the 197 patients with a unilateral disease. 52.8% were male, average age was 77±8 years. 4.6 weeks is the middle time between the first IVI and the second one, 9.3 weeks between the first and the third one. Among patients that completed 52 weeks of follow-up, the average number of IV was 7±2.2. BCVA improved of 9±16.4 letters on average and macular thickness decrease of 102±163.8 μm, with no significant difference between ranibizumb and aflibercept groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: A diagnostic and therapeutic center dedicated only to IVI seemed to be useful in the management of nAMD, improving the functional and anatomic outcome after IVI and the patients’ compliance too.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
