Laser Treatment for Diabetic Macular Edema

Laser Treatment for Diabetic Macular Edema

Background diabetic retinopathy may cause macular edema, or swelling of the central portion of the retina, which may result in blurred vision.

The National Eye Institute concluded that laser treatment was more effective than observation for diabetic retinopathy with clinically significant macular edema in a national trial completed in 1985. Treatment reduced the risk of visual loss by more than 50 percent, increased the chance of visual improvement and decreased the frequency of persistent macular edema. The treatment was found to be better at preventing visual loss than improving It and may be indicated even with 20/20 vision if the center of the macula is threatened. There is no alternative treatment for background diabetic retinopathy other than good control of underlying medical problems, laser therapy or intravitreal injections. Laser is often used as an adjunctive therapy with diabetics to decrease the injection burden.

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