Diabetic Retinopathy Surgery

Your premier partner for diabetic vision loss

Regular eye exams are vital for individuals with diabetes to ensure that any vision changes are caught early in order to prevent permanent damage to the retina. High blood sugar from diabetes can cause damage to the blood vessels in your retina, a condition called diabetic retinopathy. If left untreated, diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness.

Eye Center of Texas is proud to offer diabetic retinopathy surgery in Houston to help slow vision loss due to diabetes. Paul J. Stewart M.D. is specially trained to treat this condition specifically and can offer you the best possible care. They will work with you to determine which type of surgery is best for your individual case and provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about your treatment.

Call us today at (713) 797-1010 or schedule a consultation online. We look forward to helping you preserve your vision!

How can diabetes affect your vision?

How does diabetes affect the eyes? High and low blood sugar caused by diabetes can cause blurry vision — in fact, the sudden onset of blurry vision can sometimes predict a diabetes diagnosis. Getting your blood sugar under control can help restore normal vision, but if it goes unchecked, it could mean permanent damage to your eyes.

Regular eye exams are essential for diabetics because diabetes can cause a number of long-term eye problems, many of which can cause permanent damage if not caught and treated early on.

A few conditions caused by diabetes include diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma. Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in adults and is caused by changes in the retina’s blood vessels. These changes can lead to leakage of blood and fluid into the retina, resulting in vision loss.

Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy

It can be difficult to self-diagnose diabetic retinopathy since your eye will usually look and feel normal. Your vision will also likely seem normal despite the presence of potential severe vision loss on the horizon. Only a thorough retinal examination through a dilated pupil can detect these problems.

The effect of diabetic retinopathy on vision varies widely, depending on the stage of the disease. Some common symptoms of diabetic retinopathy are:

• Blurred vision – often linked to blood sugar levels
• Floaters in your eyes
• Sudden loss of vision
• Fluctuating vision
• Bright flashes of light in one or both eyes
• Dark spots in your vision

Continue reading: Is red eyes a sign of diabetes?

Diabetic retinopathy treatment options

If you are diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy, the sooner you start treatment, the better your chances of preserving your vision. Fortunately, you are not out of options in terms of diabetic retinopathy treatments.

Depending on the severity of vision loss, some patients will be able to manage their condition without surgery and instead with medication, steroids, and/or lifestyle changes that manage blood sugar. If surgery is the best course of action, there are two main types of diabetic retinopathy surgery: laser surgery and vitrectomy. Laser surgery is used to treat the early stages of the disease, while vitrectomy is used to treat more advanced cases.

Laser surgery

Laser surgery works by destroying the abnormal blood vessels that are growing in the retina by selectively targeting the desired area while leaving surrounding tissues untouched. This can prevent vision loss and even improve vision in some cases.

The surgery is usually performed in an outpatient setting while you are awake and comfortable and will take less than 30 minutes to complete. You’ll be able to go home immediately after the surgery but you should plan for transportation since you may not be able to drive right away.

Since diabetes is a progressive disease, you will likely need to have several sessions of laser surgery spaced out over a period of time in order to achieve the best results and prevent further loss of vision.

Vitrectomy surgery

Vitrectomy is a more invasive micro-surgery that involves removing the diseased tissue from the retina with a vitreous gel. If scar tissue has accumulated on the retina, small instruments are used to peel the scar tissue off of the surface of the retina to relieve the traction. Once the blood is removed, a laser is usually added to the side part of the retina during the surgery. This can be successful in treating advanced cases of diabetic retinopathy and preventing vision loss.

The surgery will be performed in an outpatient setting while you are in a semi-sleep state and comfortable. It will take about two to three hours to complete and you’ll be able to go home the same day. As with laser surgery, you should plan for transportation since you may not be able to drive after the procedure.

Your surgeon may place a gas bubble in the eye at the end of surgery to act as a splint to keep things in place as they heal. The gas bubble will be slowly absorbed by your body over several weeks. It is important to note that if a gas bubble is left in the eye, patients cannot fly and must stay at sea level until the gas disappears.

Recovery from vitrectomy surgery is usually quicker than recovery from laser surgery since there are no small burns on the retina from the laser. However, you will likely need to take it easy for a few days after the surgery and avoid any strenuous activity.

Intraocular steroids

Intraocular steroids are another treatment option for diabetes and eyesight improvement. They can be used alone or in combination with laser surgery. Intraocular steroids are injected into the eye and work by reducing inflammation to help prevent vision loss.

The injection is usually performed in an outpatient setting while you are awake and comfortable. It will take less than 10 minutes to complete and you’ll be able to go home immediately afterward. You may experience some side effects from the injection, such as increased pressure in the eye, but these are usually temporary and will go away on their own.

Intraocular steroids can be an effective treatment for diabetic retinopathy, but they are not a cure. You will likely need to have several injections, repeated every 4-6 months, in order to achieve the best results and prevent further loss of vision.

Diabetic Retinopathy Surgery at Eye Center of Texas

If you are diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy, it is important to talk to one of the skilled doctors at Eye Center of Texas about all of your treatment options so that you can make the best decision for your individual case. Early treatment is crucial in preserving vision and the sooner you start, the better your chances will be.

For more information about diabetic retinopathy surgery, call Eye Center of Texas at (713) 797-1010 or schedule a consultation online today.

Diabetic retinopathy FAQs