Patients with diabetes are at a higher risk for developing eye conditions because a high blood sugar level can damage blood vessels in the eye. Over 40 percent of patients diagnosed with diabetes develop some form of eye disease as a result. These conditions can cause blood or fluid to leak into the retina or new blood vessels to grow on the surface of the retina. Blood and fluid leakage can lead to significant damage to your vision and can compromise overall quality of life.
Patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy usually seek laser surgery to treat their condition. This treatment is known as PRP (Pan Retinal Photocoagulation) laser treatment and is used to shrink the newly developed abnormal blood vessels using up to 2,000 laser burns in the area of the retina. This treatment is usually performed in two or more sessions because of the high number of laser burns necessary. Scatter laser treatment is most effective before new blood vessels have started to leak, and may slightly reduce patients’ color and night vision, while preserving your central vision. Severe bleeding may require a vitrectomy, or removal of the vitreous, to remove blood from the center of the eye.
Macular edema is a serious condition that can occur at any stage of diabetic retinopathy and involves a buildup of fluid in the macula, the light-sensitive part of the retina that allows us to see objects with great detail. Macular edema can cause difficulty reading or doing close work, and can often greatly affect a patient’s quality of life by interfering with regular activities.
Your doctor can diagnose macular edema during your regular eye exam before symptoms are present, but you should seek prompt medical attention at the earliest signs of a decrease in vision. Retinal swelling may indicate an early sign of macular edema.
Treatment for macular edema usually includes a laser procedure called focal laser treatment. During this procedure, several hundred small laser burns are placed in the areas of retinal leakage around the macula to prevent leakage from occurring and reduce the amount of fluid in the retina. This helps reduce the risk of vision and can even improve lost vision in a small number of cases. Focal laser treatment is performed in your doctor’s office and can usually be completed in just one session.