Treatment of Diabetic retinopathy

This involves the use of a LASER beam to seal leaking blood vessels and prevent the growth of abnormal blood vessels.

In background retinopathy, if blood vessels are leaking fluid into the macula (diabetic macular edema), laser treatment stops the leakage and may improve or stabilise vision.

In proliferative retinopathy, laser treatment may involve one or more sessions depending on the type and severity of retinopathy.

Important to remember:

1. This is an out-patient procedure - i.e. does not require hospitalisation.

2. Laser retina treatment is not a one-time procedure. It may require multiple sittings.

3. Regular follow up is extremely important. Your doctor will tell you when to return for a check-up.

Recent studies on laser treatment along with some medicines (anti VEGF) injected into the eye (or just outside the eye) have shown encouraging results in diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy.

These medicines include Intravitreal

• Ranibizumab (common brand names Accentrix/Lucentis, Razumab)

• Bevacizumab (common brand name Avastin)

• Steroids such as intravitreal dexamethasone (common brand name Ozurdex).

These injections may often need to be repeated to reduce the macular edema and slow down vision loss in diabetic retinopathy.

Read more about anti-VEGF here.

If there is significant bleeding in the eye or traction retinal detachment, laser treatment will not work. In this situation, a surgical procedure called vitrectomy needs to be performed.

Vitrectomy involves the removal of the opaque vitreous gel, which is inside the eye, and the scar tissue. It is followed by laser and other procedures to stabilise vision.

Read more about Diabetic Retinopathy here.