# Characteristics of patients lost to follow-up after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration

## TL;DR

This study found that patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration who live far from hospitals, in rural areas, and with one affected eye are more likely to miss follow-up care after anti-VEGF treatment.

## Contribution

Identifies geographic and clinical factors linked to follow-up loss in exudative AMD patients undergoing anti-VEGF therapy.

## Key findings

- Patients lost to follow-up lived significantly farther from the hospital compared to those who maintained follow-up.
- A higher proportion of patients lost to follow-up had unilateral disease and resided in rural areas.
- No significant differences were found in age, sex, or insurance type between the two groups.

## Abstract

This study aimed to analyze and compare the characteristics of patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration who were lost to follow-up after receiving intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(anti-VEGF) injections versus those who maintained regular follow-up.

This retrospective study included patients who were lost to follow-up for more than 1 year (n = 79) or maintained follow-up (n = 186) after treatment with intravitreal injections of ranibizumab or aflibercept for exudative age-related macular degeneration. Age, sex, place of residence, type of health insurance, distance from the hospital, laterality of involvement, and follow-up duration were analyzed.

There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, sex, or type of health insurance. However, patients lost to follow-up resided significantly further from the hospital versus those with regular follow-up (33.1 ± 26.8 vs. 21.6 ± 8.5 km; P = 0.001). A significantly higher proportion of patients that were lost to follow-up had unilateral involvement (P < 0.001) and resided in rural areas (P < 0.001).

Distance from the hospital, rural residency, and unilateral involvement are significantly associated with nonadherence to follow-up among patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration receiving intravitreal anti-VEGF injections.