Injections Best for Diabetic Macular Edema Treatment
Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) is a somewhat common and significant cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes and diabetic retinopathy and can occur in any stage of the eye disease. Because of the wide range of effects DME can have on vision it has been treated aggressively, most often using laser photocoagulation treatment. Today, the research suggests that Vascular Endothelial Growth (VEGF) Inhibitor injections, using drugs such as Lucentis® or Eylea® provide superior outcomes as compared to laser photocoagulation for treatment of moderate to severe visual impairment caused by DME.
DME Treatment with VEGF Injections
According to reports in the American Journal of Ophthalmology on an analysis of studies on Diabetic Maculopathy published between January 1, 1985 and July 31, 2013, although laser photocoagulation has been the standard treatment for DME for nearly 3 decades, there is increasing evidence that better outcomes can be achieved with anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (anti-VEGF) injections. In fact, the number of patients with DME gaining an improvement of seeing an additional 10-15 letters on the eye chart was at least 2 times greater for those patients treated with the anti-VEGF injections as compared to being treated with laser treatments. Thus, the researchers concluded that anti-VEGF therapy is superior to laser photocoagulation for treatment of moderate to severe visual impairment caused by DME.
If you or someone you know has diabetes and is concerned about their risk of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) or Diabetic Retinopathy, it is critical that they have regular dilated eye exams and if necessary treatment with Lucentis® or Eylea® if they have DME or other retinopathy. Please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates, Google+ or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to arrange an appointment.
Doctor & Associates offices are located at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.
