Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to review adverse events and patient preference after bilateral intravitreal injection of antibodies to vascular endothelial growth factor.

Methods:

A retrospective case-control study. Patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration who received intravitreal antivascular endothelial growth factor agent injections in both eyes (bilateral group) on the same day over a 23-month period were compared with patients who received injections in only 1 eye. The occurrence of endophthalmitis, cerebrovascular accident, myocardial infarction, death, patient discomfort, and patient preference was compared between the two groups.

Results:

One hundred and two patients received an average of 4.43 bilateral injections (range 1-13). A case-control group of 102 patients received an average of 10.2 unilateral injections,(range 2-28). Bevacizumab was injected 45.5%, ranibizumab 45.5%, and a combination of bevacizumab and ranibizumab 9% of the time for bilateral injections. Bevacizumab was used 50.3% and ranubizumab 49.7% of the time in unilateral injections. The follow-up of both groups averaged 18.4 months (range 4.7-36.5 months). There were no cases of endophthalmitis or cerebrovascular accident in either group. There was a single case of myocardial infarction in each group. There were two deaths in the bilateral group and three deaths in the unilateral group. More than 90% strongly preferred bilateral injections to unilateral injections.

Conclusion:

Bilateral injections of antivascular endothelial growth factor agents on the same day did not increase the rate of adverse events and was preferred by the majority of patients.