Evaluating the One-Year Efficacy of Combined Anti-VEGF and Dexamethasone Implant Treatment for Macular Edema in Retinal Vein Occlusions

BACKGROUND: Retinal vein occlusion-induced macular edema (RVO-ME) is a significant global cause of vision loss, with the effectiveness of combined anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs and dexamethasone implantation (DEX I) being a relevant, yet not thoroughly explored, area of interest. The aim of this study was to evaluate the 1-year clinical efficacy of combination therapy using anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs and dexamethasone implantation (DEX I) in the treatment of macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO-ME). MATERIAL/METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed data from 34 RVO-ME patients treated at the Inner Mongolia Chaoju Eye Hospital between January 2020 and December 2021. All patients underwent initial DEX I treatment, followed by the introduction of anti-VEGF drugs, and were observed for one year. Retinal structural and vascular changes were measured using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). The study also evaluated shifts in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) throughout the observation period. RESULTS: Following the combined therapy, patients showed significant improvements in BCVA, intraocular pressure (IOP), central retinal thickness (CRT), and retinal vessel density (VD) (all P<0.05). Upon stratifying the results by RVO type, patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO)-ME displayed more significant BCVA improvement and CRT reduction at various post-treatment intervals compared to those with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO)-ME (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The combined use of anti-VEGF drugs and DEX I showed promising one-year efficacy in treating RVO-ME, with greater improvements noted in patients with BRVO-ME compared to those with CRVO-ME. Despite the positive results, close monitoring of IOP elevation, a notable side effect, remains crucial.