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How Much Vision Can Treatment Preserve in Wet AMD?

Wet AMD treatment can help preserve vision, and some people regain part of their lost sight. After one year, 20 out of 100 people receiving anti-VEGF injections had improved vision, 70 stayed about the same, and 10 got worse.

Without treatment, 5 out of 100 improved, 57 stayed about the same, and 38 got worse in a separate clinical trial. These results are averages, not a prediction of what will happen to one person.

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How Much Vision Can Treatment Preserve in Wet AMD?

Wet AMD treatment can help preserve vision, and some people regain part of their lost sight. After one year, 20 out of 100 people receiving anti-VEGF injections had improved vision, 70 stayed about the same, and 10 got worse.

Without treatment, 5 out of 100 improved, 57 stayed about the same, and 38 got worse in a separate clinical trial. These results are averages, not a prediction of what will happen to one person.

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How Does Vision Change After One Year of Wet AMD Treatment?

After one year of anti-VEGF injections, 20 out of 100 treated eyes showed improved vision, 70 stayed about the same, and 10 worsened. In a separate clinical trial involving people who received a placebo instead of active treatment, 5 out of 100 improved, 57 stayed about the same, and 38 worsened after one year. Together, these results show how vision outcomes differed across the two reported groups.

How Much Can Vision Improve With Anti-VEGF Injections?

About 20 out of 100 treated eyes had improved vision after one year in the UK audit. Improvement meant gaining at least 15 letters on an eye chart compared with the starting result. The audit included 18,360 treated eyes, making it a large source of real-world treatment data. However, the outcome for an individual depends partly on how much vision remained before treatment began.

How Quickly Can Wet AMD Affect Vision Before Treatment?

Wet AMD can cause vision loss early, with an average loss of five letters on an eye chart during the first three months after diagnosis. Five letters equal about one line on the chart. Central vision can worsen over weeks or months without treatment. These figures describe average changes and do not mean every person will lose vision at the same rate.

What Are the Risks of Wet AMD Injections?

Serious complications from anti-VEGF injections are uncommon, but they can happen. A serious problem such as an eye infection, bleeding, or glaucoma may follow about 4 out of every 100 injections. Around 30 out of every 100 injections may cause temporary symptoms, such as a sore or red eye, during the first 48 hours. These figures are per injection, not per person; discuss them with an eye specialist.

Learn More About Wet AMD Treatment and Vision Outcomes

Can Wet AMD treatment restore lost vision?

Some people regain part of their vision, but treatment cannot guarantee that sight will return to normal. In the UK audit, 20 out of 100 treated eyes improved after one year.

How many people with untreated Wet AMD lose vision?

In the clinical trial, 38 out of 100 people who received no active treatment had worsening vision after one year. This result is an average and does not predict an individual's outcome.

Does starting Wet AMD treatment early matter?

Yes. Vision loss is often fastest during the early stages, and treatment tends to work better when people start it early. On average, people lost five letters on an eye chart in the first three months after diagnosis.

When to See Your Doctor

Contact an eye specialist promptly if you notice new distortion, a dark or blank spot in your central vision, or a sudden change in sight. Wet AMD can worsen over a short period, and early assessment may help protect remaining vision. A specialist can check your eyes and explain whether treatment is appropriate for your condition.

References

Joachim et al. Five-year progression of unilateral age-related macular degeneration to bilateral involvement: the Three Continent AMD Consortium report. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2016-309729. 2017. Accessed October 23, 2026.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Age-related macular degeneration: diagnosis and management. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng82. 2018. Accessed October 23, 2026.

National Ophthalmology Database Audit. NOD AMD Audit Full Annual Report 2024. https://nodaudit.org.uk/sites/default/files/2024-03/NOD%20AMD%20Audit%20Full%20Annual%20Report%202024_0.pdf. 2024. Accessed October 23, 2026.

NHS England. Making a decision about Wet Age-related Macular Degeneration (Wet AMD). https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Decision-support-tool-making-a-decision-about-wet-age-related-macular-degeneration.pdf. 2022. Accessed October 23, 2026.

Rosenfeld et al. Ranibizumab for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa054481. 2006. Accessed October 23, 2026.