AIM:To investigate the clinical effect of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)drugs combined with laser photocoagulation for diabetic macular edema(DME).

METHODS: Totally 94 patients(141 eyes)with DME from June to December 2015 in our hospital were selected and randomly divided into combined group of 47 cases(68 eyes, ranibizumab combined with laser therapy)and the control group of 47 cases(73 eyes, laser treatment). The levels of best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), macular central retinal thickness(CRT), total macular volume(TMV)and macular edema level were compared between the two groups at different time after treatment.

RESULTS: The mean values of BCVA in the combined group were higher than those in the control group at 2, 6 and 12wk, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). At 2, 6 and 12wk after treatment, the CRT and TMV values of the combined group were lower than those of the control group, the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). After treated for 12wk, patients with macular edema of combined group was 80.9% in mild level, 17.7% in moderate level, 1.5% in severe level, those of the control group was 60.0%, 31.5%, 5.5%, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: The effect of anti-VEGF drugs combined with laser therapy for DME patients is better than that of single laser therapy alone.