Amblyopia Treatment Outcomes Re-Audit, Comparing Current Outcomes to Those from the 2011-12 Audit.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Ophthalmology
• Vision Science

Background:

• Amblyopia, or 'lazy eye', is a common cause of reduced vision in children.
• Effective treatment is crucial to prevent long-term visual impairment.
• Previous audits provide benchmarks for treatment effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To audit the effectiveness of current amblyopia treatment protocols at Newcastle Eye Centre (NEC).
• To compare current visual acuity (VA) outcomes with those from a 2011-12 audit.
• To assess treatment duration, adverse events, and early indicators for treatment cessation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of patient records for amblyopia treatment discharged between 2016-2019.
• Comparison of VA outcomes with a previous audit cohort (2011-2012).
• Statistical analysis using unpaired T-test; calculation of visual change proportion and treatment episode duration.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in VA outcomes between current and previous audits.
• 60% of patients achieved a VA of ≤0.250 (logMAR) in the amblyopic eye.
• Treatment completed within two years for 62% of patients; only one adverse event reported.

Conclusions:

• Amblyopia treatment at NEC remains effective, yielding comparable VA outcomes to previous audits.
• Current protocols are successful, with most patients achieving VA near that of the fellow eye.
• Extending follow-up beyond 6-8 weeks may be feasible without compromising VA outcomes.