Abstract
We evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on anti-VEGF treatment in ophthalmology patients in a single hospital in northern China. A total of 93 anti-VEGF injections were administered to 85 eyes of 72 patients at The China Medical University First Hospital Department of Ophthalmology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the same period in 2019, the number of injections decreased by 70%. Fifty-nine eyes of 46 patients were receiving 3+PRN anti-VEGF treatment prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic; all of these patients experienced treatment interruptions due to COVID-19-associated reasons. Anatomic and functional outcomes suggest that patients with anti-VEGF treatment interruptions are at risk for severe adverse visual sequelae. Moreover, deferred anti-VEGF treatment due to patient-related or department-related reasons during the COVID-19 pandemic may result in poor visual outcomes for new patients. Our results suggest that COVID-19 has had a significant negative effect on anti-VEGF treatment in ophthalmology patients. Detailed guidance from global experts in ophthalmology is highly sought after in these challenging circumstances.
Highlights
The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was sudden and tragic
We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all patients who received anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatment in The China Medical University First Hospital Department of Ophthalmology from January 21, 2020, to June 1, 2020
Compared to the same period in 2019 (307 anti-VEGF injections in 199 eyes of 185 patients), the number of injections decreased by 70% during the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was sudden and tragic. Outpatient and surgical volumes have decreased (in some instances by >75%) during the pandemic, and treatment has been restricted to urgent or emergency conditions [1]. A serious consequence of the decreased volumes is that many patients are experiencing irreversible loss of sight. Intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents is widely regarded as the standard of care for patients with retinal disease, including neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and macular edema (ME) due to retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and has become the most commonly performed ophthalmic procedure. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on anti-VEGF treatment in ophthalmology patients in a single hospital in northern China
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