title: Phacoemulsification in eyes with neovascular AMD treated with anti-VEGF injections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate visual results of phacoemulsification in eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) intravitreal injections.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective noncomparative interventional case-series study assessed best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 4 timepoints: 1) baseline, immediately before first anti-VEGF injection; 2) preoperative, immediately before phacoemulsification; 3) postoperative, 1 month after phacoemulsification; 4) endpoint, at the last visit. Anti-VEGF retreatment regimen was based only on optical coherence tomography. The median time between anti-VEGF injections was evaluated for the time period before and after phacoemulsification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen eyes of 16 patients were included. The median (range) baseline, preoperative, postoperative, and endpoint BCVA was 0.7 (0.3-1.3), 0.72 (0.4-1.3), 0.5 (0.05-1.0), and 0.36 (0.0-1.0) logMAR, respectively. Best-corrected visual acuity significantly improved after phacoemulsification (mean 3 logMAR lines) and remained stable during follow-up (median 14 months, range 7-28). There was no statistically significant difference in the median time interval between injections before phacoemulsification and after phacoemulsification.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Phacoemulsification significantly improved BCVA in patients with choroidal neovascular AMD. This effect persisted during follow-up with no increased need for anti-VEGF injections to keep macula dry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muzyka-Wozniak
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D011184:Postoperative Period; D057234:Preoperative Period; D019591:Pseudophakia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000068258:Bevacizumab; D000069579:Ranibizumab