Perioperative anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents treatment in patients undergoing vitrectomy for complicated proliferative diabetic retinopathy: a network meta-analysis

Abstract

Currently, controversies regarding the optimal time-point of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pretreatment before pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) still exist. To clarify this, we conducted a network meta-analysis, 26 randomized controlled trials including 1806 PDR patients were included. Compared with the sham group, performing anti-VEGF injection at preoperative (Pre-Op) 6 to 14 days could significantly improve post-operative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and decrease the incidence of recurrent vitreous hemorrhage (VH). Meanwhile, it could significantly reduce the duration of surgery. Performing anti-VEGF injection at Pre-Op more than 14 days, 6 to 14 days or 1 to 5 days could significantly reduce the incidence of intra-operative bleeding, while no significant benefit existed at the end of PPV ( P > 0.05). No significant difference existed between all those strategies and sham group in reducing the rate of silicone oil tamponade. Based on currently available evidence, performing the anti-VEGF pretreatment at pre-operative 6 to 14 days showed best efficacy in improving post-operative BCVA, reducing the duration of surgery and incidence of recurrent VH, it also achieves satisfactory effect in reducing the incidence of intra-operative bleeding.