Eyeworld

85 EW RETINA February 2015 acuity and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) data were collected at each visit, and quality of life was assessed using the well-validated National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (NEI-VFQ 25). "The overall NEI-VFQ 25 composite scores improved signifi- cantly at weeks 24 and 48 following aflibercept therapy as compared to baseline," Ms. Wijeyakumar said. "Statistically significant im- provements were observed for general vision, near and distance activities, mental health, and role difficulties at 48 weeks," she added. Improvements in quality of life were correlated to improvements in best corrected visual acuity but not to improvements in central macular thickness measured by SD-OCT. Also, perhaps not surpris- ingly, patients with poor response to aflibercept (gaining fewer than 5 ETDRS letters) reported no sig- nificant improvement in quality of life, while those who did respond (gaining 5 or more ETDRS letters) reported a significant improvement in quality of life. Practical implications There is no question that anti-VEGF agents have changed the therapeutic landscape for a host of previously hard-to-treat retinal vascular dis- orders. Moderate and severe vision losses are now far less common in eyes with neovascular AMD and macular edema associated with diabetes or retinal vein occlusion. The study described above as well as others in the literature confirm that patients treated with anti-VEGF therapy can appreciate the measured gains in acuity, with positive effects on their quality of life. As onerous as intraocular injec- tions may be, they are surprisingly well tolerated. Anti-VEGF therapy has satis- fied an unmet need, giving hope to millions of patients with potentially blinding retinal vascular disorders. The next stage of research will focus on longer-acting therapies and sustained-release delivery systems to minimize or eliminate the need for indefinite monthly injections. Such Contact information Chang: aching@sydneyretina.com.au Wijeyakumar: wwijeyakumar@sydneyretina.com.au a therapy will undoubtedly produce even greater improvements in quali- ty of life for these patients. EW Editors' note: Dr. Chang and Ms. Wijeyakumar have no financial interests related to this article. Come to booth 2406 to see floor plans and info on efficiency and productivity to learn how we can solve your problems. BOOTH 2406 "We have made at least $5 for every dollar we spent on Practice Flow Solutions. Working with Practice Flow Solutions saved me from a really bad plan from the general architect. Your pre-design Assessment was very detailed and pointed out all the flow issues with the plan I had. Invaluable." Dr. Edward Meier Apex Eye Cincinnati, OH Practice Flow Solutions is a niche design firm uniquely focusing on helping medical practice efficiencies by identifying and solving problems in patient, staff and doctor flow. Larry Brooks, AIA and Tim Griffin, AIA, the founders of Practice Flow Solutions, have over 40+ years of experience designing and advising medical practices. www.PracticeFlowSolutions.com F L O W A S S E S S M E N T S S P A C E A S S E S S M E N T S O F F I C E D E S I G N + ONSITE EFFICIENCY STUDIES + IDENTIF Y THE PROPER AMOUNT OF SPACE + MA XIMIZE YOUR WORKFLOW ASCRS 2015 OFFICE SEEM CONGESTED? TIME WITHOUT A PATIENT TO SEE? PLANNING NEW PRACTICE SPACE?

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