An 8-year follow-up of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment with a treat-and-extend modality for neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To investigate long-term visual results of treatment with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) following a treat-and-extend regimen.

METHODS: Retrospective review of 155 patients who initiated treatment with bevacizumab for nAMD in one eye. At the final 8-year visit, 40 patients (26%) remained for follow-up. Mean change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was calculated compared to baseline values.

RESULTS: Mean BCVA improved significantly from baseline during the first year of treatment, with -0.11 logMAR units equivalent to 6.1 approximate Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (approxETDRS) letters (p = <0.001). Mean BCVA was still significantly improved after 4 years of treatment for the entire group of patients and after 6 years of treatment for the subgroup of 40 patients who remained at the final 8-year visit. Thereafter, BCVA gradually declined and at 8 years, there was a mean change of 0.05 logMAR units equivalent to 2.1 approxETDRS letters below baseline (p = 0.530). Mean number of injections during the first year was 6.1 ± 2.8 and during year 8 was 5.4 ± 3.5. At 5 years, fundus autofluorescence showed some degree of macular atrophy in all eyes. At the final 8-year visit, 87.5% of the eyes had stable neovascular lesions with no fluid on optical coherence tomography (OCT).

CONCLUSION: In an everyday clinical setting, treatment of nAMD patients with a treat-and-extend modality provided improvement and stability of vision for several years. After 8 years of follow-up, there was a decline in visual acuity (VA) that could be explained by macular atrophic development.