In diabetic retinopathy, treatment is indicated for sight-threatening complications like proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and diabetic macular oedema (DME). For decades, treatment has been with panretinal laser for PDR and focal/grid laser for DME. In recent years, intravitreal therapy with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibition or steroids has replaced laser treatment in centre-involving DME. Intravitreal VEGF-inhibition has also demonstrated effectiveness in PDR, but long-term studies are needed to address the concern of a potential continuous treatment burden.