Efficacy of ranibizumab with laser in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy compare with laser monotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the serious complications of diabetes mellitus. Laser therapy is the traditional treatment for DR, and the role of vitreous injection of ranibizumab in DR requires evaluation. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of ranibizumab combined with laser versus laser monotherapy in treating diabetic retinopathy. Method We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, China Biology Medicine Disc (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases, from their inception to October 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effectiveness of ranibizumab combined with laser versus laser monotherapy in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy were searched. We used the Cochrane Collaboration tool to evaluate the risk of bias. Results Our analysis included 18 studies. The improvement time for retinal edema in the ranibizumab combined with the laser group was significantly shorter than that in the laser monotherapy group ( P < 0.05). The time to absorb fundus hemorrhage in the ranibizumab combined with the laser group was significantly shorter than that in the laser monotherapy group ( P < 0.05). The absorption time of fundus exudation in the ranibizumab combined with the laser group was significantly lower than that of the laser monotherapy group ( P < 0.05). The rate of improvement in vision in the ranibizumab combined with the laser group was significantly higher than that of the laser monotherapy group ( P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the incidence of adverse reactions ( P > 0.05) and retinal thickness in the macula ( P > 0.05) between ranibizumab combined with the laser group and the laser monotherapy group. onclusion The combination of ranibizumab and laser for diabetic retinopathy is more effective than laser monotherapy.