Results of the treatment of patients with exudative AMD during the COVID-19 pandemic()

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused chaos in all health systems on the planet. It has been difficult to cope with COVID 19, but also to maintain the activity in other specialties. In ophthalmology, the scientific societies recommended providing urgent care, including the intravitreal treatment of patients with active neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), since a delay in treatment implies a potential loss of visual acuity (VA). The main objective of this study was to measure the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on the activity and visual results in patients with neovascular AMD in Area 3 of Madrid. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective observational study was conducted of all patients with neovascular AMD who attended a consultation and/or received intravitreal treatment in the 3 months before the lockdown. RESULTS: In the 3 months before the lockdown, 144 patients with neovascular AMD were treated, of whom only 51 attended a consultation during the lockdown and, at 6 months after it, only 117 patients had resumed their follow-up. Mean VA before the lockdown was 58.0 ± 23.7 letters and was statistically significantly reduced to 53.0 ± 27.1 letters at 6 months after the lockdown. We also observed a significant decrease in the number of visits during the lockdown, despite the security measures implemented. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that patients with neovascular AMD have had a statistically significant decrease in VA due to the lockdown. A VA of almost 58 letters was reduced to 53 at 6 months after the lockdown. The percentage of patients who lost 15 or more letters doubled. We observed a 63.3% loss of temporary follow-up during the lockdown and a 14.58% loss of permanent follow-up at 6 months after the lockdown.