title: The importance of informed consent in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration considering intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatments.
abstract: Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) tears are now a documented potential complication following the intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatments for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Patients are often not well consented regarding this risk and thus we retrospectively analyzed the data from all of our patients undergoing this treatment over a six month period. Our findings highlighted the fact that the three patients (out of thirty) who had developed this RPE tear complication were initially all diagnosed with a pigment epithelial detachment (which is a type of macular degeneration in question). Therefore, we have adjusted our informed consent procedure such that all patients with "wet" macular degeneration and especially those with pigment epithelial detachments are now fully consented regarding the risks of the intravitreal treatment, which could potentially damage their vision further.
authors.affiliation: Tennent Institute of Ophthalmology, Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow G12 0YN, Scotland, UK. sumona_m@hotmail.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lockington
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mansfield
mesh_terms: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent; D058449:Intravitreal Injections / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000069579:Ranibizumab