One year after laser treatment of 117 eyes with central or branch retinal vein occlusion in the presence of macular edema, visual acuity was equally improved in the central retinal vein occlusion laser-treated and branch retinal vein occlusion non-laser-treated eyes. We concluded that fluorangiographically evident ischemic areas or significant macular edema are indications for laser therapy, and that a poor long-term functional prognosis is always related to more severe macular damage at the onset.