Functional and structural characteristics in patients with diabetic macular oedema after switching from ranibizumab to aflibercept treatment. Three year results in real world settings

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to examine the long term anatomical and functional outcomes in patients with refractory diabetic macular oedema (DMO) undergoing treatment switch from ranibizumab to aflibercept. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients with DMO undergoing treatment switch from ranibizumab to aflibercept at a single centre between 2015 and 2017. Primary outcomes were best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT). RESULTS: 57 eyes from 44 patients were included. Following switch to aflibercept, median (IQR) BCVA improved to 73 (64–77) letters at 3 months (p = 0.0006), to 73 (61–78) letters at 6 months (p = 0.0042), to 73 (65–77) at 9 months (p = 0.0006), and to 73 (63–75) letters at 18 months (p = 0.0444). At 36 months following switch, 12 eyes had gained > 10 letters, 5 eyes had gained 5–9 letters, 25 remained stable (± 5 letters), 7 eyes lost 5–9 letters and 8 eyes lost > 10 letters. A significant reduction in CMT at all trimesters following treatment switch was found except at month 24. CONCLUSIONS: We provide real world data suggesting a sustained anatomical and functional benefit of switching from ranibizumab to aflibercept in the treatment of refractory DMO. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40942-022-00373-5.