Diabetic retinopathy

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Slit-lamp exam

Retinopathy - diabetic

The goal of treatment is to control your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. 

Treatment, however, usually does not reverse existing damage, but will keep the disease from getting worse.  Drugs that keep abnormal blood vessels from growing in patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy are under development.

Laser surgery may be used to keep vessels from leaking or to get rid of abnormal fragile vessels.

A surgical procedure called vitrectomy is used when there is bleeding (hemorrhage) into the eye. It may also be used to repair retinal detachment.

American Diabetes Association - www.diabetes.org

National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse - www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov

Prevent Blindness America - www.preventblindness.org

Patients who have good control of their blood sugar and blood pressure may improve their outcomes.

Diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness without treatment.

• Glaucoma
• Retinal detachment
• Blindness

Call for an appointment with an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) if you have diabetes and you have not seen an ophthalmologist in the past year.

Review Date: 08/11/2005
Reviewed By: Edward B. Feinberg, MD, MPH, Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.