Diabetic Retinopathy Fort Worth & Hurst
One complication of diabetes mellitus is eye disease. Diabetic retinopathy is the most common eye disease connected to diabetes and is a leading cause of blindness in American adults. It occurs in patients with complications of diabetes and is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. In order to receive proper eye care, the patient and ophthalmologist must first determine what type of diabetic retinopathy is present. The two types of diabetic retinopathy are:
- Macular Edema – blood vessels may swell and leak fluid
- Proliferative Retinopathy – abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of the retina
To prevent or slow the development of diabetic retinopathy, the patient should receive proper eye care and control blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The patient should also have an eye examination at least once a year by an ophthalmologist.
Ophthalmologist Thomas Marvelli offers quality eye care for patients with diabetes at his two office locations in Hurst and Ft. Worth, Texas.
Treatment for Diabetes Related Eye Disease
Proliferative retinopathy is usually treated with simple laser surgery. However the patient may need eye injections or another form of surgery depending upon the severity and type of diabetes.
Macular edema can be treated with laser eye surgery. This procedure is called focal laser treatment. A patient with diabetes may need focal laser surgery more than once to control the leaking fluid associated with this eye disease. If you have a lot of blood in the center of the eye (vitreous gel), you may need a vitrectomy to restore your sight. If you need vitrectomies in both eyes, they are usually done several weeks apart.
A vitrectomy is performed under either local or general anesthesia. A tiny incision is made in your eye. Next, a small instrument is used to remove the vitreous gel that is clouded with blood. The ophthalmologist replaces the vitreous gel with a salt solution.
What is experienced during procedures?
Patients should not experience severe pain or discomfort during these procedures.
Mild Retinopathy
Retinopathy is a common condition among diabetics. In fact, it is often one of the earliest warning signs of diabetes, which is why an eye doctor may be able to diagnose diabetes before one’s general practitioner.
Retinopathy can be cured via a LASIK procedure, but only if it is in the beginning stages. Most people with Type 1 Diabetes have more serious eye problems than those who have Type 2 Diabetes and are thus not good candidates for this form of eye surgery. It should also be noted that diabetics in the early stages of diabetes are more likely to react well to LASIK treatment than those who had diabetes for some time.
Can Diabetics Get LASIK?
Patients who are anxious about getting LASIK eye surgery due to diabetes can visit our center for a consultation to learn more about other diabetic eye treatment options. Diabetes can affect the procedures success rate and lead to more complications if not addressed by an eye expert.
Diabetic Eye Care Candidates
To see if you are the right candidate for our treatments, please schedule a consultation with Dr. Marvelli today to learn more about your options. We are now accepting diabetic eye care patients in the Hurst area.
