What is Diabetic Retinopathy?

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels in the retina.

India is considered the diabetes capital of t . India is considered the diabetes capital of the world with over 20% of the world's diabetic population. he world with over 20% of the world's diabetic population.

Diabetic Retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among diabetics. Some diabetics never show any sign of problems in the eye. But in many cases, the disease progresses until massive bleeding, scarring or retinal detachment has occurred making recovery of sight impossible. Diabetic retinopathy increases with the duration of diabetes and almost all those who have been suffering from diabetes for over 30 years will be affected by Diabetic Retinopathy. Juvenile diabetics will be more prone to developing Diabetic Retinopathy at an early age.

Symptoms

Most often, Diabetic Retinopathy shows no symptoms until the damage is severe. However, some of the symptoms include:

1. Blurred vision and gradual vision loss
2. Shadows or missing areas of vision
3. Difficulty in reading or seeing up close

In most cases, because of the lack of symptoms, Diabetic Retinopathy is diagnosed only in the later stages, where revival of sight becomes difficult. This is the reason why all diabetics should regularly go in for eye check-ups.

Types of Diabetic Retinopathy

1. Non-proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

   This is the first stage of Diabetic Retinopathy. During this stage hardly any symptoms are visible, though retinal swelling may be present. At this stage, the tiny retinal capillaries become semi-permeable eventually leading to leakage of fluid or blood into the eye.

2. Macular Edema

   The macula is central part of the retina responsible for sharp and direct vision. The center of the macula begins to swell due to leakage of fluid from retinal capillaries resulting in blurred vision. Macular Edema can often overlap with the other stages. Early detection of macular edema wiII help ensure the most effective treatment.

Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when high blood sugar levels cause damage to blood vessels in the retina. Diabetic retinopathy can progress to this more severe type, known as proliferative diabetic retinopathy when damaged blood vessels get blocked and new, abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina.

Diagnosis of Diabetic Retinopathy

A comprehensive medical eye examination by an ophthalmologist is the best protection against the progress of Diabetes Retinopathy. It is advisable that all diabetics, even those who do not have refractive errors, go in for regular eye check-ups.

Our approach includes:

1. Meticulous examinations of the interior of the eye using an Ophthalmoscope and 20D retinal lens.
2. Making a detailed diagram of the retina with colour coding.
3. Using the Fundus camera to capture serial photographs to understand the condition of the blood vessels.
4. Performing Fundus Fluorescein Angiography and Optical Coherence Tomography to assess the stage of diabetic retinopathy

Treating Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic Retinopathy is a treatable eye disease if diagnosis is made early. Management modalities include:

1. Metabolic Control: Strict control of blood sugar is mandatory. Additionally, control of BP lipid levels treatment of renal disease of present is also important.
2. Photocoagulation: It is the laser treatment for eyes offered to seal off the abnormal blood vessels and protect the central vision. Laser rays are directed into the eye and focused to a tiny spot on the retina. The heat seals off the abnormal blood vessels. We make use of Hi-tech Green Lasers for the treatment. It is an outpatient procedure where each session takes about ten minutes. The number of sessions required depends in the amount of damage the eye has undergone.

   There may be a loss of some peripheral vision (side vision) and night and colour vision may reduce. But the benefits of laser treatment far outweigh the risks.

   Laser treatment aims at saving the existent sight and not in helping to regain sharp sight as before.

3. Intraocular injections: of steroids and anti - V&GF agents may be used in addition to the above mentioned therapies
4. Advanced Vitreoretinal surgical procedures: including vitreotomy, membrance peeling, endolaser and gas/oil injection are needed to treat late stages of diabetic retinopathy. Vitrectomy involves removing scar tissue and blood from the vitreous fluid of the eye.

Facilities Available at PEC

1. Fundus Flourescein Angiography (U.S.A)
2. FUNDUS CAMERA
3. Optical Coherence Tomography (U.S.A)
4. Retinal Photograph by Fundus Camera
5. 90D Slit Lamp Biomicroscopy
6. Indirect Opthalmoscopy
7. Retinal Laser Photocoaglation by Argon Green Laser (U.S.A)

What is Retinal Detachment?

Retinal detachment is separation of the neurosensory retina from the underlying retinal pigment epithelium.

Retinal Detachment Symptoms

Some of the many retinal detachment symptoms are mentioned below:

1. Symptoms of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment
2. Very brief flashes of light (photopsia) in the extreme peripheral (outside of center) part of vision
3. A sudden dramatic increase in the number of floaters
4. A ring of floaters or hairs just to the temporal side of the central vision
5. A dense shadow that starts in the peripheral vision and slowly progresses towards the central vision
6. The impression that a veil or curtain was drawn over the field of vision
7. Straight lines (scale, edge of the wall, road, etc.) that suddenly appear curved
8. Central visual loss

Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Treatment

1. In the case of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment Treatment, upon diagnosis, surgical intervention is the preferred choice for doctors in almost all instances.
2. Retinal laser photocoagulation and cryopexy
3. Scleral buckle surgery
4. Pneumatic retinopexy
5. Vitrectomy surgery