THREE-YEAR SAFETY AND VISUAL ACUITY RESULTS OF EPIMACULAR 90STRONTIUM/90YTTRIUM BRACHYTHERAPY WITH BEVACIZUMAB FOR THE TREATMENT OF SUBFOVEAL CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION SECONDARY TO AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Abstract

Epimacular brachytherapy shows promise as a therapeutic option for subfoveal neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The procedure was safe and well tolerated, with a reasonable risk-benefit profile that warrants further study in larger subject populations. The most common adverse event was cataract progression/formation. Surgical complications are similar to those expected from standard vitrectomy trials. This novel device is currently being evaluated in two prospective, randomized, controlled trials in treatment-naive subjects (CABERNET) and in subjects already treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy (MERLOT).