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| UNIVERSITY OPHTHALMOLOGY CONSULTANTS |
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WHAT
IS DIABETIC RETINOPATHY?
Diabetic
retinopathy is a potentially blinding complication of
diabetes
that damages the eye's retina. As the
disease progresses, blood vessels in the retina can leak
into the part of the retina that lets us see detail, causing
loss of vision. This is called
macular edema. Also, new blood vessels
can form which may bleed into the eye. This is the proliferative
stage.
The disease often has no early warning signs. "The
key to preventing vision loss is for diabetic patients
to have dilated retinal exams. Those with Type
I diabetes (juvenile onset) should be
examined at 5 years after diagnosis, and yearly thereafter.
Those with Type II diabetes
(adult-onset) should be examined at diagnosis,"
commented Monique
Roy, MD, Director of the Medical Retina Service
at New Jersey Medical School.
Diabetic retinopathy affects half of the 14 million
Americans with diabetes. It is the leading cause of
blindness in people ages 20 to 64.
There are two treatments which are useful in preserving
vision — laser
photocoagulation and vitrectomy.
Laser photocoagulation can stop the blood vessels from
leaking and make new blood vessels shrink. This procedure
reduces the risk of severe vision loss by more than
50%. If severe bleeding has occurred, a vitrectomy (removal
of blood and scar tissue from the eye) and retinal detachment
(reattachment of the retina) may restore useful vision.
| WHAT IS DIABETIC RETINOPATHY? | ||
|
Diabetic
retinopathy is a potentially blinding complication of
diabetes
that damages the eye's retina. As the
disease progresses, blood vessels in the retina can leak
into the part of the retina that lets us see detail, causing
loss of vision. This is called
macular edema. Also, new blood vessels
can form which may bleed into the eye. This is the proliferative
stage.
The disease often has no early warning signs. "The key to preventing vision loss is for diabetic patients to have dilated retinal exams. Those with Type I diabetes (juvenile onset) should be examined at 5 years after diagnosis, and yearly thereafter. Those with Type II diabetes (adult-onset) should be examined at diagnosis," commented Monique Roy, MD, Director of the Medical Retina Service at New Jersey Medical School. Diabetic retinopathy affects half of the 14 million Americans with diabetes. It is the leading cause of blindness in people ages 20 to 64. There are two treatments which are useful in preserving vision — laser photocoagulation and vitrectomy. Laser photocoagulation can stop the blood vessels from leaking and make new blood vessels shrink. This procedure reduces the risk of severe vision loss by more than 50%. If severe bleeding has occurred, a vitrectomy (removal of blood and scar tissue from the eye) and retinal detachment (reattachment of the retina) may restore useful vision.
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