PDT Laser VS Avastin on Wet AMD

[cindytan889]

My father, 66 years old, started seeing dark spot on his vision on December. Since ophthalmologist in my country seem clueless treating my father's problem, I went to Singapore. After 1,045 SING$  test and scan, they give my father PDT Laser (5th Feb 2013), which the drug alone cost 2,700$, and the PDT laser operation + the surgeon was ard 1,700$. Okay, no problem as long as my father's eye can be helped.  
after 2 days later, my father have more problem which by that time he sees every edges kinda wavy, after a chaos trying to talk to our ophthalmologist through international calls, the hospital staff just said "If you are so anxious pls come again to Singapore to have early check up". We had a check up and the doc said based on the OCT scan, the eye's layer is improved and we can go home. Now, on 11 March 2013, my father complained that it's not only the edges of objects are wavy, but also the line of sentences he reads in newspaper/magazines, and the picture on tv is also kinda wavy.. After another chaotic effort to ask our doc what should we do, he suggested us to back to Singapore to have an injection of LUCENTIS or AVASTIN. I tried desperately to ask how much it would cost and stuff about the drugs fact, they said they don't have any right to give me the estimation. I tried to reach my doc via email, no answer. I know from the net then that Lucentis cost 2000$ and Avastin 50 to 150$, so I am now trying to ask the doc whether it is possible that my father could choose the Avastin, or whether Lucentis treats him better, and the reason...no answer.
I am now surfing in net looking for answer for whoever can answer me about the drug and eye problem.
Thank you

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Sorry I did not mention that PDT therapy is not done commonly in most places.  Our practice in USA  carefully explains difference in avastin and lucentis. Patients without insurance coverage (and often not covered) usually choose the least expensive.

JCH MD

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

You have grasped the nature of the problem. There is no clear distinction about which is better Avastin or Lucentis.  And as you have identified Avastin is much less expensive meaning it can be made available to more people at less cost.

In the USA with the worst tort law/junk lawsuit industry in the world there is more lucentis being used because of the very small risk of infections when the Avastin is compounded.  In the rest of the world where junk lawsuits and "loser pays" court systems there is more of a tendency to use Avastin.

There are some problems related to the side effects of injection which might be slightly more common with avastin.  The other informaton you will need to get from his ophthalmologist.

JCH MD