Diabetic Retinopathy : Treatment

by National Institute on Aging

(Page 3 of 3)

Macular edema is treated with laser surgery. This procedure is called focal laser treatment. Your doctor places up to several hundred small laser burns in the areas of the retina around the macula that are leaking.

These burns slow the leakage of fluid and reduce the amount of fluid in the retina. The surgery is usually completed in one session. Further treatment may be needed.

A patient may need focal laser surgery more than once to control the leaking fluid. If you have macular edema in both eyes and require laser surgery, generally only one eye will be treated at a time, usually several weeks apart.

Focal laser treatment stabilizes vision. In fact, focal laser treatment reduces the risk of vision loss by 50 percent. In a small number of cases, if vision is lost, it can be improved. Contact your eye care professional if you have vision loss.

During the first three stages of diabetic retinopathy, no treatment is needed, unless you have macular edema. To prevent progression of diabetic retinopathy, people with diabetes should control their levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol.

Scatter laser treatmentProliferative retinopathy is treated with laser surgery. This procedure is called scatter laser treatment. Scatter laser treatment helps to shrink the abnormal blood vessels.

Your doctor places 1,000 to 2,000 laser burns in the areas of the retina away from the macula, causing the abnormal blood vessels to shrink.

Because a high number of laser burns are necessary, two or more sessions usually are required to complete treatment.

Although you may notice some loss of your side vision, scatter laser treatment can save the rest of your sight. Scatter laser treatment may slightly reduce your color vision and night vision.

Scatter laser treatment works better before the fragile, new blood vessels have started to bleed. That is why it is important to have regular, comprehensive dilated eye exams. Even if bleeding has started, scatter laser treatment may still be possible, depending on the amount of bleeding.

If the bleeding is severe, you may need a surgical procedure called a vitrectomy. During a vitrectomy, blood is removed from the center of your eye.

Scatter laser treatment and vitrectomy are effective in treating proliferative retinopathy and in reducing vision loss.

People with proliferative retinopathy have less than a 10 percent chance of becoming blind within five years when they get timely and appropriate treatment. Although both treatments have high success rates, they do not cure diabetic retinopathy.

Once you have proliferative retinopathy, you always will be at risk for new bleeding. You may need treatment more than once to protect your sight.

The National Eye Institute, or NEI, is conducting and supporting research that seeks better ways to detect, treat, and prevent vision loss in people with diabetes. This research is conducted through studies in the laboratory and with patients.

For example, researchers are studying drugs that may stop the retina from sending signals to the body to grow new blood vessels. Someday, these drugs may help people control their diabetic retinopathy and reduce the need for laser surgery.

The NEI urges everyone with diabetes to have a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. If you have diabetic retinopathy, you may need an eye exam more often. People with proliferative retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness by 90 percent with timely treatment and appropriate follow-up care.

A major study has shown that better control of blood sugar levels slows the onset and progression of retinopathy. The people with diabetes who kept their blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible also had much less kidney and nerve disease. Better control also reduces the need for sight-saving laser surgery.

Quiz

1. Macular edema is treated with which type of laser surgery?

A. distal laser treatment
B. focal laser treatment
C. corneal laser treatment
D. retinal laser treatment

B is the correct answer. Macular edema is treated with focal laser surgery. Your doctor places up to several hundred small laser burns in the areas of retinal leakage surrounding the macula. These burns slow the leakage of fluid and reduce the amount of fluid in the retina.

2. To prevent progression of diabetic retinopathy, people with diabetes should control their levels of

A. blood sugar.
B. blood pressure.
C. blood cholesterol.
D. all of the above

D is the correct answer. During the first three stages of diabetic retinopathy, no treatment is needed, unless you have macular edema. To prevent progression of diabetic retinopathy, people with diabetes should control their levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol.

3. Which treatment removes blood from the center of the eye?

A. vitrectomy
B. focal laser treatment
C. scatter laser treatment
D. tonometry

A is the correct answer. Blood is removed from the center of your eye during a vitrectomy. Scatter laser treatment and vitrectomy are effective in treating proliferative retinopathy and in reducing vision loss.

4. People with which type of retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness with treatment and follow-up care?

A. moderate nonproliferative retinopathy
B. proliferative retinopathy
C. severe nonproliferative retinopathy
D. mild nonproliferative retinopathy

B is the correct answer. People with proliferative retinopathy can reduce their risk of blindness by 90 percent with timely treatment and appropriate follow-up care.

About the Author

www.nia.nih.gov
NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people.