If you experience vision issues related to diabetes, your physician may suggest diabetic eye surgery OKC. Depending on the severity, diabetic eye diseases may be treated with medication, surgery, changes to your lifestyle, or a combination of treatments. Three diabetic eye diseases that may require surgery include:
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts
As the most common diabetic eye disease, advanced cases of diabetic retinopathy typically require eye surgery Oklahoma.
What Is Diabetic Retinopathy?
Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the blood vessels inside the retina become damaged from high blood sugar levels. The damaged blood vessels can eventually leak fluid into your retina and block blood flow. Diabetic retinopathy is a serious condition that can lead to severe vision loss and blindness, as well as other conditions like retinal detachment. There are two types of diabetic retinopathy:
- Proliferative retinopathy – The blood vessels in the eye are so damaged that they close off, allowing weaker blood vessels to grow. The new vessels can leak blood and cause a vitreous hemorrhage.
- Nonproliferative retinopathy – As the most common form of retinopathy, the capillaries at the back of the eye balloon up and form pouches.
Regularly visiting the cornea doctors Oklahoma at BVA can help prevent and treat diabetic eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy before they become severe.
What Does Diabetic Eye Surgery Consist Of?
Your physician may suggest different surgical procedures to treat your diabetic eye disease. As such, laser therapy is a popular treatment for those suffering from diabetic retinopathy.
More traditional methods of eye surgery Oklahoma involve direct surgical procedures on the eyes. However, laser therapy uses bright laser light to focus on the damaged retina. Also referred to as photocoagulation, the laser seals the damaged blood vessels and further prevents fluid from leaking into certain parts of the retina. Laser therapy can also prevent retinal detachment, as the scars from the laser reduce the growth of abnormal blood vessels and help bond the retina to the back of the eye.
In the case of more advanced diabetic retinopathy or other diabetic eye diseases, your eye doctor may suggest another form of surgical treatment to help restore and prevent vision loss. For example, if you develop a vitreous hemorrhage that causes blood to settle in the middle of your eye, your physician may recommend a vitrectomy instead.
How To Prevent Diabetic Eye Disease
For individuals with diabetes, routinely visiting your eye doctor is crucial to maintaining healthy eyes and preventing vision loss. Optometrists and cornea doctors Oklahoma can detect diabetic eye diseases before you may even notice any signs or symptoms. Your eye doctor will determine the best course of treatment for diabetic eye disease.
Prevent Diabetic Eye Disease With BVA
Diabetic eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy may need to be treated with diabetic eye surgery OKC. At BVA, our team of eye doctors and physicians have the expertise and experience necessary to treat various diabetic eye diseases. To learn more about our treatments for diabetic eye disease, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.