Purpose: To evaluate three months follow-up of SING IMT implant in patients affected by late-stage AMD.
Design: Prospective cohort study.
Subjects: In a total of 80 eyes of 40 patients who underwent the enrollment tests, 11 patients' eyes affected by late-stage AMD matched the inclusion criteria and underwent SING IMT implant from February to June 2022.
Methods: Before surgery, each patient underwent the enrollment examination to verify inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Main outcome measures: BCVA for distance and for near, IOP, ACD and ECD were evaluated at 1 and 3 months follow up. Also quality of life in doing the activities of daily life was evaluated.
Results: BCVA for distance and for near improved from baseline to 3 months follow up (23.91 ± 9.418 ETDRS letters and 59.09 ± 11.58 ETDRS letters respectively (p < 0.001). An endothelial cell loss was shown (p < 0.001), with a rate of cell density reduction around 8.3% (baseline vs 3 months).
Conclusions: SING IMT could be a valid surgical device to improve patients' sight and quality of life which have been deteriorated by late-stage macular degeneration. Further studies with more patients and longer follow up are needed to confirm our results.
Keywords: Dry-AMD; implantable miniature telescope; late-stage AMD.