Safety of bilateral same-day intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents

The aim was to evaluate the safety of bilateral same-day injections with intravitreal antiangiogenic drugs for macular diseases.

Cross-sectional retrospective review of unilateral and bilateral same-day antiangiogenic injections was conducted between January 2011 and March 2016 in the Unit of Macula, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe (Valencia, Spain). A total of 8,172 injections were administered, among which 6,560 were unilateral and 1,612 were bilateral injections. Patients were included in the study regardless of the diagnosis. Ranibizumab and aflibercept were the antiangiogenic drugs used. The presence of endophthalmitis or retinal detachment was evaluated.

A total of 1 (0.012%) culture-proven endophthalmitis and 19 (0.233%) acute intraocular inflammations were registered. In the unilateral injections group, there were 18 (0.274%) acute intraocular inflammations and 1 (0.015%) culture-proven endophthalmitis. One (0.062%) of the 1,612 bilateral same-day injections had a unilateral acute intraocular inflammation, and there were no culture-proven endophthalmitis in this group.

Bilateral same-day injections are more convenient for patients and their caregivers than the unilateral injections administered on different days. In our study, the prevalence of culture-proven endophthalmitis and acute intraocular inflammation was lower in the bilateral injections than in the unilateral group. These data support the idea that bilateral same-day injections are a safe and valid treatment to use in our clinical practice.