Combining surgical ablation of retinal inflow and outflow vessels with photodynamic therapy for retinal angiomatous proliferation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate short-term efficacy of combining surgical ablation of retinal inflow and outflow vessels and photodynamic therapy (PDT) for stage 3 retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP).

DESIGN

Prospective interventional case series.

METHODS

Five eyes (five patients) underwent surgical ablation of inflow and outflow vessels and PDT for stage 3 RAP.

RESULTS

Inflow and outflow vessels were ablated in four eyes, and only inflow was ablated in one eye. In four eyes starting PDT within six weeks of surgical ablation, choroidal neovascularization (CNV) disappeared or shrank after one PDT session (three months follow-up). However, CNV enlarged again in three of the four (final follow-up) because of reperfusion from newly formed inflow vessels. In one eye starting PDT seven months after ablation, a new retinal inflow vessel feeding the CNV appeared by the time of the first PDT session. The CNV continued to expand, despite two PDT sessions.

CONCLUSIONS

Combining surgical ablation and PDT was not useful on account of a high frequency of reperfusion from retinal inflow vessels.