Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy

Find out the latest treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy.

Laser photocoagulation is one of the most common treatments for diabetic retinopathy. In this kind of surgery, short spots of the laser s beam are directed at the retina to seal leaking blood vessels. Laser surgery can usually be done in the ophthalmologist s office or outpatient surgery center. Laser surgery may require more than one treatment to be effective.

If you have very advanced proliferative diabetic retinopathy or retinal detachment, your ophthalmologist may recommend vitrectomy. In vitrectomy, the surgeon removes the blood-filled vitreous and replaces it with a clear solution. This allows light to pass through the clear fluid to the retina, where the images you see are conveyed to the brain. Vitrectomy is performed in the hospital or outpatient surgery center under local or general anesthesia.

The type of retinopathy you have, your general health and eye structure will determine the kind of treatment (if any) you need for your condition, and the kind of anesthesia you will have.

Judith Lee

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