Monocentric, Retrospective, Comparative Study of the Safety and Effectiveness of Wound Modulation with Bevacizumab after Combined Cataract Surgery with Implantation of the CyPass Stent

Abstract

Because of the known positive effect of bevacizumab (Avastin®) on wound modulation in trabeculectomy, aretrospective study evaluated the safety and efficacy of wound modulation with Avastin following combined cataract surgery with CyPass stent. Retrospectively, the pre-, intra- and postoperative data (after three and six months) were collected from 484 eyes after combined surgery (n = 187 without Avastin, n = 297 with Avastin). The safety criteria were intraoperative complications and postoperative slit-lamp microscopic findings. Efficacy criteria were intraocular pressure (IOP) and number of IOP-lowering drugs. With respect to age and sex distribution, early postoperative fibrin reaction, intraocular pressure and reduction in medication, the two groups (with and without Avastin) did not differ statistically significantly. However, iris tissue reactions were statistically significantly more frequently observed three months postoperatively in the control group than in the Avastin group (chi square test: p = 0.02, n = 47/128); there is a slight trend after six months towards less iris tissue reaction in the Avastin group (chi square test: p = 0.15, n = 45/125). Other trends in favour of the Avastin group were identified within the failure rate (2% compared to 6% at three months (chi square test: p = 0.103, n = 50/130) and 4 to 10% at six months (chi square test: p = 0.106, n = 50/130) and within the proportion of eyes without supplemental hypotensive medication, with 86 vs. 74% and 68 vs. 56% (chi square test: three months: p = 0.053; six months: p = 0.12; n = 50/130). In addition, 85% of the eyes in the Avastin group reached the postoperative pressure threshold of ≤ 21 mmHg without supplemental hypotensive medication three months postoperatively and 65% after six months compared to 74% (chi square test: p = 0.099, n = 50/130) and 54% (chi square test: p = 0.11, n = 50/130) in the control group. The postoperative injection of Avastin into the anterior chamber is safe, reduces iris tissue reactions and improves efficacy up to six months postoperatively to a clinically limited extent.