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Aflibercept plus micropulse laser versus aflibercept monotherapy for diabetic macular edema: 1-year results of a randomized clinical trial

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the role of adjuvant micropulse laser with aflibercept injections in the management of treatment naive center involving DME, looking at decreased treatment burden and increased efficacy as outcomes after 1 year.

Methods

This was a prospective, single center, randomized trial that included 40 eyes (40 patients) with previously untreated center involved DME. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either aflibercept plus micropulse laser (group A) or aflibercept monotherapy (group B).

Results

Overall, 40 patients were included in the study; they were randomized into either group A (aflibercept + micropulse; 20 patients) or group B (aflibercept monotherapy; 20 patients). The mean number of injections after the loading dose was 4.5 ± 1.4 in group A and was 5.4 ± 1.7 in group B, and the difference between both groups was statistically significant (P = 0.029).

Conclusion

Adding 577-nm micropulse laser to aflibercept is effective for treatment naïve DME and is associated with decreased number of injections.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ophthalmology Department, Alexandria University, 8 Hassan Allam Street, Smouha, Alexandria, Egypt

    Mahmoud Alaa Abouhussein & Amir Ramadan Gomaa

Authors
  1. Mahmoud Alaa Abouhussein
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  2. Amir Ramadan Gomaa
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Correspondence to Mahmoud Alaa Abouhussein.

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All authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Abouhussein, M.A., Gomaa, A.R. Aflibercept plus micropulse laser versus aflibercept monotherapy for diabetic macular edema: 1-year results of a randomized clinical trial. Int Ophthalmol 40, 1147–1154 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-019-01280-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10792-019-01280-9

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