Severe ipsilateral or bilateral carotid artery stenosis or occlusion is the most common cause of ocular ischemic syndrome (OIS). This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of BuyangHuanwu decoction (BYHWD) against the retinal ischemia induced by ligation of carotid arteries in rats. The effects of BYHWD (0.64 g/kg, i. g.) on ischemia-induced retinal damage were examined with histological staining, RT-PCR and western blot. The protective effects of BYHWD on the ischemia retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) model induced by hypoxia were examined in vitro. The results indicated that BYHWD significantly prevented the decrease in density of cells in ganglion cell layer (GCL) and in the thickness of total retinal, and the increase in the numbers of TUNEL-positive cells. In addition, BYHWD decreased the expression of Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Bax, and increased the expression of Bcl-2 in retina after ischemia. Similar to the results in vivo, BYHWD significantly suppressed the hypoxia-induced changes of apoptosis related gene and protein expression. These findings suggest that BYHWD may prevent ischemia-induced retinal ischemia through its inhibition of apoptosis.