What are the most common treatments of diabetic retinopathy?

What are the most common treatments of diabetic retinopathy?

Robert K. Maloney (Ophthalmologist) gives expert video advice on: Are some signs of diabetic retinopathy?; What are the most common treatments of diabetic retinopathy? and more...

There are two basic ways to treat diabetic retinopathy. The main treatment is laser treatment. The doctor basically shoots a small laser in your eye to seal the retina or clean up damaged areas of retina. The other treatment for diabetic retinopathy is surgery. It's a procedure called vitrectomy. It involves inserting small instruments in your eye, removing the virtrious fluid, cutting away the abnormal blood vessels and pushing the retina back into the proper position. We try to prevent the surgery part by doing the laser part early enough. That generally can be done. If you are diabetic, it is very important to have annual eye exams so the laser treatment can be done early so you don't need the surgery.