Patient perceptions and experiences of stereotactic radiotherapy for wet age-related macular degeneration

Wet age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a leading cause of visual impairment. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections are the mainstay of treatment but require monthly injections and frequent hospital visits. A novel approach to treatment with the use of stereotactic radiotherapy (Oraya IRay) as an adjunct to ranibizumab injections has shown promising results. We explored patients' experiences of receiving Oraya therapy for wet ARMD.

We present a consecutive case series with objective and detailed reporting of the personal experiences of 5 patients with active wet ARMD treated with Oraya radiotherapy in our unit. We provided all patients who had received one Oraya treatment with a standardized survey composed of 10 questions addressing the experience of receiving this treatment.

Generally, patients reported positive experiences of receiving Oraya treatment and perceived this treatment as a better option in comparison with anti-VEGF injections. However, the patients' perceptions of Oraya treatment varied according to patients' previous experiences of anti-VEGF injections and expectations of treatment.

Patients mainly justified their decision to receive Oraya treatment by expecting fewer intravitreal injections, but more research on this topic is needed to suggest new evidence-based treatment protocols for patients with wet ARMD.