Indications and Outcomes of Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection in a Community Eye Hospital, Nepal

Abstract

Intravitreal bevacizumab(IVB) injection, is a humanized monoclonal antibody that has been in use for the treatment of retinal diseases, very cheaply, especially for developing countries like Nepal. This is a retrospective study designed to evaluate the indications and outcomes of IVB at Hetauda Community Eye Hospital from 2019 to 2022. In this study, among 247 patients including 260 eyes with a follow-up rate of 221 patients involving 234 eyes, the mean patient age was 64.4 years, with male predominance of 56.1%. Thus, IVB was used principally in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, neovascular age-related macular degeneration(nAMD), and branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO). The results indicated significant improvements in central macular thickness and visual acuity with respect to diabetic retinopathy, nAMD, and BRVO. The study thus puts forth the effectiveness of IVB in improving visual outcomes and reducing central macular thickness(CMT) in a resource-constrained setting; hence, its use should be implemented as a viable treatment option within such an environment.