Cataract surgery in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration

PURPOSE: To examine the outcome after cataract surgery in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections in routine clinical practice.

METHODS: We extracted information about patients recorded in electronic databases managing anti-VEGF injections and cataract surgery. We compared Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity and frequency of anti-VEGF injections before and after cataract surgery.

RESULTS: We identified 89 eyes from 89 patients who had cataract surgery after being treated with a median of 10 (range 3-36) anti-VEGF injections for neovascular AMD. Visual acuity improved by a mean of 7.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.6-9.6] ETDRS letters in the first 6 months after cataract surgery. The need of anti-VEGF injections did not change after cataract surgery with an average of 1.5 in the 6 months before surgery versus 1.7 in the 6 months after surgery (p = 0.25). Visual improvement was greater in patients when the time from latest injection to cataract surgery was lower.

CONCLUSIONS: Cataract surgery improves vision in patients undergoing treatment for neovascular AMD. Cataract surgery was not associated with an increased need for anti-VEGF treatment and patients who were in active anti-VEGF treatment had better visual outcomes than patients who had cataract surgery after long injection-free periods.