Editing Retinopathy (section)

==Treatment==
Treatment is based on the cause of the retinopathy and may include laser therapy to the retina. Laser [[Laser coagulation|photocoagulation]] therapy has been the standard treatment for many types of retinopathy. Evidence shows that laser therapy is generally safe and improves visual symptoms in sickle cell and diabetic retinopathy.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Evans JR, Michelessi M, Virgili G | title = Laser photocoagulation for proliferative diabetic retinopathy | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 2014 | issue = 11 | pages = CD011234 | date = November 2014 | pmid = 25420029 | pmc = 6823265 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD011234.pub2 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Myint KT, Sahoo S, Thein AW, Moe S, Ni H | title = Laser therapy for retinopathy in sickle cell disease | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 2022 | issue = 12 | pages = CD010790 | date = December 2022 | pmid = 36508693 | pmc = 9744465 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD010790.pub3 }}</ref> In recent years targeting the pathway controlling vessel growth or angiogenesis has been promising. [[Vascular endothelial growth factor]] (VEGF) seems to play a vital role in promoting neovascularization. Using anti-VEGF drugs (antibodies to sequester the growth factor), research have shown significant reduction in the extent of vessel outgrowth. Low quality evidence supports the use of anti-VEGF antibodies, such as [[bevacizumab]] or [[pegaptanib]] which seems to improve outcomes when used in conjunction with laser therapy to treat [[retinopathy of prematurity]], longer term systemic effects are not known however.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Sankar MJ, Sankar J, Chandra P | title = Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs for treatment of retinopathy of prematurity | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 1 | issue = 1 | pages = CD009734 | date = January 2018 | pmid = 29308602 | pmc = 6491066 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD009734.pub3 }}</ref> The evidence is poorer for treatment of diabetic retinopathy. Use of anti-VEGF drugs did not appear to improve outcomes in a clinically significant way when compared to standard laser therapy for diabetic retinopathy.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Martinez-Zapata MJ, Salvador I, Martí-Carvajal AJ, Pijoan JI, Cordero JA, Ponomarev D, Kernohan A, Solà I, Virgili G | display-authors = 6 | title = Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor for proliferative diabetic retinopathy | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 2023 | issue = 3 | pages = CD008721 | date = March 2023 | pmid = 36939655 | pmc = 10026605 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD008721.pub3 }}</ref>