Diabetic retinopathy is the most common and destructive eye condition seen in people with diabetes. It damages small blood vessels inside the retina, causing fluid to leak inside and beneath that part of the eye. The formation of new, unhealthy blood vessels can rupture and leak blood, which can cause severe, irreversible vision loss if left untreated.

The most important part is early detection of diabetic retinopathy. All diabetics should have regular eye checkups. Our doctors will grade the severity of each case and determine how often follow-up examinations should be scheduled for the specific individual. High risk groups should be seen more frequently. They include type 1 diabetics, diabetics with renal failure, pregnant diabetic patients and people with multiple other cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and smokers.

Once someone has established disease, our doctors will individualize the treatment depending on the nature and severity of the condition. The treatment modalities ranges from in-room procedures such as anti-VEGF injections (Eylea®, Lucentis®, Visqq®, Avastin®) and cortisone (Ozurdex®, triamcinolone) to LASER treatment. Surgery (pars plana vitrectomy) is reserved for high risk cases which our retinal surgeon, Dr Nieder-Heitmann, performs in theatre as a day case at Cure Day Clinic

Ultimately, good blood sugar control, exercise and a healthy diet is key to prevent this serious eye disease. To help our patients to achieve this, we believe in a multidisciplinary team approach which includes, but are not limited to general practitioners, physicians, dieticians, diabetic nurses, optometrists and podiatrists.