Effect of ranibizumab combined with laser photocoagulation in the treatment of diabetic macular edema

TL;DR

Combining ranibizumab and laser photocoagulation improves treatment outcomes for diabetic macular edema compared to using either treatment alone.

Contribution

Demonstrates that combining ranibizumab with laser photocoagulation yields better results in treating DME than monotherapies.

Findings

Combined treatment reduced macular edema and improved visual acuity more effectively than either treatment alone.

The combined group showed faster absorption of exudation and fundus hemorrhage compared to the other groups.

The combined treatment was associated with fewer complications and lower VEGF levels post-treatment.

Abstract

To explore the clinical effect of ranibizumab combined with laser photocoagulation (LP) in treating diabetic macular edema (DME).

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 118 patients with DME admitted to The Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanchang University from May 2021 to March 2023. Among them, 38 patients received LP alone (Laser-group), 39 patients received ranibizumab alone (Ranibizumab-group), and 41 patients received LP combined with ranibizumab (Combined-group). The improvement of macular edema (ME), visual acuity, and complications between the groups were compared.

The time of ME regression, exudation absorption and fundus hemorrhage absorption in the Combined-group was shorter than in the Laser-group and the Ranibizumab-group (P<0.05). After treatment, the CMT and RNV of the three groups decreased compared to pretreatment levels and were lower in the Combined-group compared to the Laser-group and the Ranibizumab-group (P<0.05). BCVA increased after the treatment in all groups, and was markedly higher in the Combined-group than in the Laser and the Ranibizumab-groups (P<0.05). NO were higher in the Combined-group compared to the Laser-group and the Ranibizumab-group. The post-treatment VEGF levels decreased in all groups, and were significantly lower in the Combined-group compared to the Laser-group and the Ranibizumab-group (P<0.05). The incidence of complications in the Combined-group was lower than in the Laser-group and the Ranibizumab-group (P<0.05).

Compared to ranibizumab or LP alone, ranibizumab combined with LP is more effective in reducing ME in patients with DEM, and is associated with fewer complications.