Diabetic Retinopathy

 
Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of preventable blindness in Australia. Good diabetic control helps to delay the onset of diabetic damage to the retina.
 
All patients with diabetes should be screened on a yearly basis. When the signs of diabetic retinopathy become more severe (proliferative diabetic retinopathy and macular oedema), treatment may be required to prevent severe vision loss and blindness.

At Mona Vale Eye Centre, we can perform a digital fluorescein angiogram to instantly diagnose proliferative diabetic retinopathy. We have a high definition optical coherence tomography (HD-OCT) to detect subtle swelling of the retina (macular oedema).

When severe diabetic retinopathy is diagnosed and requires treatment, we have a laser to institute the treatment. Macular edema is treated with a combination of laser and eye injections called Lucentis.

For more information about diabetic retinopathy, visit the National Eye Institute.

 
Mona Vale Eye Centre