Safety of submacular suprachoroidal drug administration via a microcatheter: retrospective analysis of European treatment results.

PURPOSE To investigate the safety and feasibility of using a microcatheter for drug delivery in the suprachoroidal space in eyes with advanced, exudative, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) unresponsive to conventional therapy. PROCEDURES A unique microcatheter was used to deliver a drug combination consisting of bevacizumab and triamcinolone to the submacular suprachoroidal space. Twenty-one eyes of 21 patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to advanced, exudative AMD were followed over a 6-month postprocedure period. RESULTS The microcatheter was successfully and atraumatically inserted into the suprachoroidal space of all eyes. No serious intraoperative or postoperative complications including suprachoroidal hemorrhages were encountered. Postsurgically, complications consisted of 1 eye experiencing a transient elevation in intraocular pressure at 3 months, which was medically controlled, and 2 eyes (10.5%) with an apparent increase in nuclear sclerotic cataracts. CONCLUSIONS Suprachoroidal drug administration was achieved without serious complication using a novel microcatheter. Direct drug delivery to the choroid can potentially increase local tissue drug levels and drug efficacy for the treatment of AMD and other diseases associated with CNV.