What is diabetic retinopathy?
Diabetes damages the small blood vessels in the eye, and can lead to swelling of the central retina, bleeding into the retina and the vitreous, and scarring causing retinal detachment.
What testing might be done?
Mr Alexander may arrange retinal photographs and an OCT scan. An angiogram of the retinal blood vessels is sometimes performed. In some patients, an ultrasound scan of the eye is required.
How is diabetic retinopathy treated?
This depends on the type of retinopathy present, and needs to be discussed on an individual basis. The treatment can involve laser, injections into the eye, or surgery.
Bleeding into the vitreous cavity, known as vitreous haemorrhage, may clear gradually with time. If the blood is taking a long time to clear or if there are frequent haemorrhages, vitrectomy surgery should be considered. In addition, early vitrectomy could prevent further problems developing while waiting for the blood to clear, particularly if the cause of the haemorrhage is not certain or if you have not had any prior laser treatment for your diabetic retinopathy.