Comparative Efficacy of Subthreshold Micropulse Laser Photocoagulation vs. Conventional Laser Photocoagulation for Diabetic Macular Edema: A Meta-analysis

Background Laser photocoagulation is an effective procedure for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). However, the beneficial effects of conventional laser photocoagulation (CLP) are accompanied by the destruction of retinal photoreceptors. Therefore, subthreshold micropulse laser photocoagulation (SMLP) was proposed for DME. Objectives This meta-analysis study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SMLP compared with CLP for the management of DME. Methods The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, SinoMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, Wanfang and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases, published until Dec 2021, were searched to identify studies evaluating the clinical outcomes of SMLP for DME. Results 8 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected for this meta-analysis involving a total of 546 eyes (275 eyes in SMLP group and 271 eyes in CLP group). SMLP of different wavelengths (577nm and 810nm) and duty cycles (5% and 15%) were applied. The pooled outcomes showed that SMLP group, especially 577nm and 810nm 15% duty cycle parameter settings, had a statistically significant higher efficacy than CLP group in terms of BCVA(MD = -0.02, 95% CI: -0.03 to -0.01, P
Source: Ophthalmic Research - Category: Opthalmology Source Type: research