The other route is localized damage to the macula. The macula is the central part of the retina and it is visually the most sensitive part of the retina. Damage to the macula will lead to loss of central vision.
As a diabetic patient, you should have a full diabetic screening examination at least once a year. A full diabetic screening examination will involve putting drops in the eye to dilate or open the pupil area for a better view of the retina. All diabetic patients should also have a complete scan of the retina and macula. This is very important to rule out any subtle changes to the general retina and/or macula.
Treatments for advanced diabetic retinopathy
For diabetic retinopathy that is threatening or affecting your sight, the main treatments are:
Laser treatment is used to treat new blood vessels at the back of the eyes in the advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy. This is done because the new blood vessels tend to be very weak and often cause bleeding into the eye.
In some cases of diabetic maculopathy, injections of a medicine called anti-VEGF may be given directly into your eyes to prevent new blood vessels forming at the back of the eyes.
The main medicines used are called ranibizumab (Lucentis) and aflibercept (Eylea). These can help stop the problems in your eyes getting worse, and may also lead to an improvement in your vision.
Surgery may be carried out to remove some of the ‘jelly’ inside the eye. This is the transparent, jelly-like substance that fills the space behind the lens of the eye.
The operation, known as vitreoretinal surgery, may be needed if: