To evaluate the efficacy and safety of compound salvia miltiorrhiza preparation for retinal vein occlusion. We searched the Cochrane library, Medline, Embase, CBM, CNKI, VIP and the Wanfang database (data updated to August, 2011) for relevant clinical research on compound salvia miltiorrhiza preparation for retinal vein occlusion. A total of two studies involving 137 patients met the inclusion criteria for this review. Results of the two studies were not pooled because significant heterogeneity was found between them. Data analysis showed that RR and 95%CI for both studies were 1.12 [0.92, 1.36] and 1.40 [0.95, 2.07] respectively and the P value was 0.04. As a result, there was no statistically significant difference between the curative effects of the two interventions. In one study, “days needed for patients to experience improved symptoms of fundus hemorrhage and edema” was recorded and adopted as an observational indicator. Analysis of the data for “recovery days for total stem occlusion” showed compound salvia miltiorrhiza injection had a better effect than control group (WMD -15, 95%CI [- 25.74, - 4.26], P = 0.006). However, analysis of the data for another two indicators, “recovery days for branch occlusion” and “improvement in retinal edema” suggested that no significant statistical difference was observed between the two interventions (-2.00[-4.49, 0.49], P=0.12; WMD 0.90, 95%CI [-1.92, 3.72], P = 0.53). Moreover, one study took “improvement in the patients’ visual acuity” as a measure to test efficacy. And our analysis found that there was still no statistically significant difference between the two groups (WMD 0.10, 95%CI [- 0.11, 0.31], P = 0.34). The results suggested that compound salvia miltiorrhiza preparation is more efficacious and safer to use than Urokinase in improving symptoms of total stem occlusion and fundus hemorrhage. However, the efficacy and safety of compound salvia preparation in treating retinal vein occlusion needs further verification as only two low-quality clinical trials were included in this review.