Avastin boosts vitrectomy success rates

Avastin (bevacizumab; Genentech) increases the ease of vitrectomy in severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), according to a study published in the July issue of Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology.

Jonathan Yeoh of the Vitreoretinal Unit and the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne, Australia and colleagues gave a single injection of Avastin to 16 study subjects (18 eyes) with severe PDR who were about to undergo vitrectomy to treat either tractional retinal detachment or vitreous haemorrhage.

Three months postoperatively, visual acuity (VA) had remained the same or improved over baseline in 11 eyes; by the six month follow-up point, VA had improved over baseline in 14 eyes, and remained the same in one eye. Of the seven rebleeds that occurred after surgery, six required surgical washout.

The researchers therefore concluded that Avastin facilitates vitrectomy success in PDR subjects, and noted that this technique is particularly useful when neovascularization is still active and short duration traction detachments are being treated.