TREATMENT DEFERRAL DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWN: Functional and Anatomical Impact on Patients With Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Long-term results of the treatment of patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration during the COVID-19 pandemic

PURPOSE

To quantify the long-term impact (24 months) on the visual results and activity of neovascular lesions of COVID-19 confinement in patients with nAMD in our population.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study of patients with nAMD who attended consultation or were treated during the 3 months before confinement was carried out.

RESULTS

144 patients (168 eyes) with nAMD were included, 51 of them (35.42%) came during confinement, and at 24 months the final cohort was 118 patients (133 eyes). The previous VA of 57.99 ± 23.68 letters decreased, clinically relevant and statistically significant, by an average of 6.87 (±16.84) and 7.89 (±19.58) at 12- and 24-months follow-up. This change differs significantly from the two-year vision change observed in the national database of pretreated patients. The median number of injections and consultations is lower in our group at 12 months, compared to the pre-pandemic national database, and tends to equalize at 24 months. We did not find differences in vision when we compared patients who attended consultations during confinement or in treatment intervals greater than 8 weeks (Tq8w).

CONCLUSIONS

The VA of patients with nAMD decreased significantly after confinement, probably due to the lower number of antiangiogenic injections and consultations during the first year, and did not recover during the second year despite the increase in the number of injections and visits close to those reported before confinement.

Impact of the COVID 19 Pandemic on Treatment of nAMD via a Portal-Based Collaboration

BACKGROUND

Under the influence of the COVID 19 pandemic and the lockdown in Germany, there were significantly fewer consultations in almost all medical disciplines. Especially given the need for consistent treatment and follow-up of nAMD patients, this can have far-reaching consequences for visual function, especially in elderly patients.

METHODS

In a retrospective analysis of nAMD patients, the number of visits (IVI or follow-up), OCTs or IVIs performed and the mean worst visual acuity for the period before and after the first COVID 19-associated lockdown were compared in a portal-based collaboration of 50 eye care practices. Patients were treated according to the pro re nata (PRN) regimen that included intravitreal injection of VEGF inhibitors based on activity criteria in the OCT follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 34,660 visits from 55 months were included in the analysis. Before lockdown (16 March 2020), an average of 81.8% ± 2.1% of patients were regularly checked or treated (every 4 to 5 weeks). With the onset of lockdown, the proportion of patients receiving optimum treatment dropped to 64.0%. Initially, the proportion of OCT follow-ups decreased from 48.4% to 30.9% and, with a delay, the proportion of injections decreased from 57.5% to 45.8%. This was also reflected in the number of OCT follow-ups: 15.5 before, 11.4 during and 17.2 after lockdown (p < 0.001). In 29% of cases, an individual worsening of visual acuity by more than 0.1 logMAR after the end of the lockdown compared to before the lockdown could be observed. On average, mean visual acuity decreased significantly by 0.054 logMAR (p < 10-11). This significant impairment was not reversed again during the remaining observation period, although the number of visits, OCT examinations and IVIs in the following 12 months were at the pre-lockdown level.

CONCLUSIONS

The pandemic-related lockdown resulted in unintended treatment breaks in nAMD patients receiving IVI therapy. The decrease in visits as well as in IVIs caused a loss of visual function in the observed cohort. The consistent treatment regimen of nAMD patients was resumed shortly after the lockdown with an immediate normalization of the number of OCT examinations and IVIs. However, a permanent loss of visual function was observed, and this did not improve within a year after the lockdown. This finding highlights the importance of better case management, leading to improved patient adherence in the event of further waves of COVID or other pandemics.

Patterns of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor discontinuation in neovascular age-related macular degeneration

OBJECTIVE

To report on anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) discontinuation in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

Treatment-naive nAMD patients initiating anti-VEGF injections between 2015 and 2021.

METHODS

Demographics, treatment start and end dates, number of injections, treatment length, reason for discontinuation, and baseline and final data (i.e., age, best-corrected visual acuity, and central subfield thickness) were recorded. Statistical analyses using STATA 17.0 assessed differences between baseline and final values and between treatment-discontinuation subgroups.

RESULTS

A total of 619 eyes of 502 treatment-naive patients (9015 injections) were included (age, 81.6 ± 8.4 years; 64.0% female). Discontinuation rate was 58.3% (361 of 619), with 310 patients discontinuing because of the lack of visual benefit (n = 152), severe comorbidity or death (n = 82), transferred (n = 33), stable off active treatment (n = 19), lack of benefit plus stable off treatment (n = 14), patient decision (n = 6), and ocular comorbidity (n = 4). Among the 309 remaining patients, 51 (16.5%) were lost to follow-up. Discontinuation occurred within the first year in 49.3% (n = 178). Visual acuity was at least maintained in all groups and improved in the following groups: severe comorbidity or death (p < 0.0001), lost to follow-up (p = 0.0003), transferred (p = 0.0004), and stable off treatment (p = 0.0053). The lack of visual benefit group had no improvement in vision regardless of treatment length. Compared with other subgroups, those stable off treatment group was younger (p = 0.0055), had better baseline vision (p = 0.0018), received more injections (p = 0.0437) over a longer time (p = 0.0034), and achieved better final vision (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

While there was a high discontinuation rate over 7.5 years, most were attributable to disease or treatment factors and nonmodifiable patient factors. Discontinuation frequently occurred within the first year.

Long-Term Consequences of COVID-19 Lockdown in Neovascular AMD Patients in Spain: Structural and Functional Outcomes after 1 Year of Standard Follow-Up and Treatment

Consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical care have been extensively analyzed. Specifically, in ophthalmology practice, patients suffering age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represent one of the most affected subgroups. After reporting the acute consequences of treatment suspension in neovascular AMD, we have now evaluated these same 242 patients (270 eyes) to assess if prior functional and anatomical situations can be restored after twelve months of regular follow-up and treatment. We compared data from visits before COVID-19 outbreak and the first visit after lockdown with data obtained in subsequent visits, until one year of follow-up was achieved. For each patient, rate of visual loss per year before COVID-19 pandemic, considered “natural history of treated AMD”, was calculated. This rate of visual loss significantly increased during the lockdown period and now, after twelve months of regular follow-up, is still higher than before COVID outbreak (3.1 vs. 1.6 ETDRS letters/year, p < 0.01). Percentage of OCT images showing active disease is now lower than before the lockdown period (51% vs. 65.3%, p = 0.0017). Although anatomic deterioration, regarding signs of active disease, can be apparently fully restored, our results suggest that functional consequences of temporary anti-VEGF treatment suspension are not entirely reversible after 12 months of treatment, as BCVA remains lower and visual loss rate is still higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Frequency of Eye Diseases in Residents of Nursing Homes - 1-Year Results of a Novel Telemedicine Service in Switzerland

PURPOSE

For the elderly in nursery homes, a visit to the ophthalmologist is a burden, which might lead to undertreatment. We have recently started offering a novel ophthalmological service combining onsite examination and telemedical interpretation for patients with limited access to ophthalmological care. This study summarises the frequency of findings of treatable eye diseases after the first year of operation in participants who dropped out from regular ophthalmological control.

METHODS

Participants' clinical characteristics, frequency of service utilisation, and findings were extracted from the system and analysed.

RESULTS

Of 1946 residents approached, 540 (27.7%; 1080 eyes) signed up for the service. A complete examination was possible in 412 persons (813 eyes) and partially possible in the remaining 128. The mean age of the examined participants mean age was 83.9 years (SD 9.7), and they were predominantly female (69.8%). The majority had a diagnosis of dementia (54.5%) and 20.2% had diabetes mellitus requiring treatment. The median care level (ranging from 0 - 12) was 7 (interquartile range 6 - 9), corresponding to a care need of 121 - 140 min/d. The mean best-corrected decimal visual acuity was 0.55 (SD 0.24). For 164 eyes (15.2%), the current spectacle correction was insufficient. An untreated cataract was present in 145 eyes (13.4%), 89 eyes (8.2%) were receiving glaucoma treatment, and 7 eyes had a decompensated glaucoma. Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) appeared in 276 eyes (25.6%), 12 eyes (1.1%) had wet AMD, and 24 eyes (11.0%) among patients with diabetes showed signs of diabetic retinopathy. Other pathologies were uncommon.

CONCLUSION

Residents of nursery homes, who are unable to attend regular ophthalmological control, show various treatable ophthalmological conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal pathologies. Screening with a novel telemedicine service allows for the identification of treatable conditions and careful planning and referral of patients to appropriate clinics having the necessary infrastructure for this particular population.