EFFICACY AND PROGNOSIS OF ANTI-VEGF AGENTS COMBINED WITH PANRETINAL PHOTOCOAGULATION IN DIABETIC RETINOPATHY: A CLINICAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains a leading global cause of blindness, significantly affecting the quality of life of patients with diabetes. This clinical observational study was designed to comprehensively assess the synergistic effects of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs and panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) on the progression of DR and visual outcomes. A total of 120 patients with severe non-proliferative or proliferative DR were prospectively recruited and randomly assigned into two groups: the combination therapy group (anti-VEGF + PRP) and the PRP monotherapy group. The results clearly demonstrated that the combination group achieved remarkable anatomical and functional improvements, with a more substantial reduction in macular edema and neovascularization. Long-term follow-up over 24 months further revealed better visual acuity retention and a lower incidence of complications in the combination group. These findings strongly support the integration of anti-VEGF agents into traditional PRP protocols for the effective management of advanced DR.