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Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant for the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema

Purpose To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of the dexamethasone intravitreal implant Ozurdex® in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods This was a retrospective noncomparative study. A total of 23 patients with DME followed for at least 12 months were included. All patients were treated with at least 2 Ozurdex® injections for the treatment of DME. Best-corrected visual acuity, central retinal thickness, intraocular pressure (IOP), and cataract progression were recorded over 12 months. Results From baseline, the mean decrease in central retinal thickness was 315.9 µm at the 12th month and the mean best-corrected visual acuity improvement from baseline was 8.7 letters. Ozurdex® is administered via the extended release system Novadur®. Its efficacy extends beyond 4 months with a single injection and permits allows good stabilization until the 12th month, with 2.13 injections during this period. An increase in IOP was observed in 13.1% of patients and all were managed using topical IOP-lowering medications. No glaucoma or cataract surgery was necessary, and no endophthalmitis was reported. Conclusions In real-life clinical practice, Ozurdex® has anatomical and functional effectiveness for the treatment of DME. Side effects were rare and manageable in our practice.