Diabetes is a chronic disease that can have a severe impact on your eyesight. A common complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to partial vision loss or blindness. If you have diabetes, it is important to take the appropriate steps to protect your eyes. Fortunately, there are laser eye treatment options that can help prevent vision loss. As with almost any treatment option, your candidacy must be determined based on your unique circumstances.
Continue reading as the skilled eye doctors at Mack Eye Center discuss how laser treatment could help save your eyesight.
Laser Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the blood vessels in the retina are damaged by diabetes. Essentially, too much sugar in the blood can block the vessels in the retina and limit blood supply. The eye may try to create new blood vessels as a result, and these vessels can form improperly and leak. This condition can lead to blurred or fluctuating vision, eye floaters, and vision loss.
Certain laser eye treatments can reverse or prevent damage caused to the eye by this condition. Photocoagulation, which is a type of eye surgery that uses a laser to treat many retinal conditions, can be used to seal off, destroy, or prevent the growth of poorly developed or leaking blood vessels in the retina.
Types of Treatment
The treatment you receive is based on the anatomy of your eyes and the extent and location of the damage. Depending on your circumstances, you may require more than one treatment, and each session can range in length. Your laser eye treatment is usually handled as an outpatient procedure, meaning a hospital stay is not required. Treatment may consist of the following:
Focal treatment: This type of treatment may help mend areas of leakage in the retina.
Grid treatment: The macula is an area of the retina that helps you see clearly. Grid treatment can help with swelling on different parts of the macula.
Panretinal treatment: This type of treatment focuses on reducing capillary growth within the retina.
Diabetic Retinopathy Treatment at Mack Eye Center
Diabetic retinopathy can jeopardize your eyesight and impact your quality of life, but damage from this condition does not have to affect you permanently. The ophthalmologists at Mack Eye Center are eager to help improve your vision with the treatments and care plans that are best for you. If you are ready to learn more about your laser eye treatment options, contact our office for a consultation.
