Diabetic eye disease treatment
Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular oedema are common eye problems associated with diabetes and can be treated either with lasers or injections.
Treatment overview
If you develop the early stages of diabetic retinopathy, the most helpful treatment is to get your diabetes under tighter control, rather than to treat your eyes directly.
It will also help if you control your blood pressure and your blood cholesterol, and your GP can help you do this through lifestyle changes, or through drug therapy as necessary.
It is important, however, to have your eyes regularly monitored for signs of changes.
If abnormal blood vessels start to develop in the retina, or there is a risk of bleeding, you may then need laser treatment or injections.
Laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy
The London Clinic eye centre provides laser treatment, which shrinks the new, fragile blood vessels that develop as a result of diabetic retinopathy.
Focal laser therapy can be used to reduce diabetic macular oedema. This involves making fewer laser lesions, concentrated into the area of the retina just around the macula.
Laser treatment is able to prevent loss of vision effectively, but it does not usually reverse it; intravitreal injections are usually required to achieve this.
Intravitreal injections for diabetic eye disease
- Lucentis®, an anti-VEGF agent is available at The London Clinic eye centre to treat people experiencing visual loss due to diabetic macular oedema (DME).
- Avastin® is currently used off-label for patients with diabetic eye disease, and recent trial results published in the early summer of 2011 have provided good evidence that Avastin® is comparable with Lucentis®.
Vitrectomy surgery and diabetic eye disease
If you have proliferative diabetic retinopathy and there has been significant bleeding at the back of your eye, it may be necessary to remove the vitreous fluid from inside your eye, together with deposits of blood.
Removing this fluid and blood will result in clearer vision, but this surgery will not make any difference to the status of your retina.
Why choose The London Clinic
Excellence in one place
The London Clinic, in collaboration with Northwestern Medicine, operate as teams of experts with world-class resources, dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of care. Surrounded by the latest treatments and advice, you’ll have everything you need to get back to your best health. Our patient rooms are designed for your comfort, while our catering team, in collaboration with expert dietitians, provide healthy, delicious meals to support your recovery.
Personal care, every time
Exceptional patient care is a way of life for us. Our teams will be with you every step of the way, tailoring your care to your specific needs and giving you the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing you’re in the best hands. To provide exceptional care, we keep our staff-to-patient ratio low, so our nurses, clinicians, therapists, and support teams can offer a personalised, quality experience. You’ll notice the difference.
Effortlessly simple
We work together as one to guide you through every step of your patient experience. From explaining your personal treatment plan to ensuring all details are taken care of, we make the process stress-free, so you can focus on your health. Whether it’s your first consultation or follow-up care, our teams are here to provide seamless support and the peace of mind you deserve
What's included in your package?
Choosing The London Clinic means your treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.
Your treatment package will include:
- Enhanced pre-admission assessment
- Your treatment with our complete care team at your fingertips
- Personalised aftercare and follow-up
We want you to be in control of your health. That’s why we also offer optional services such as comprehensive recovery packages and extra touches for you to choose from during your stay with us. To help you manage the cost, we also offer a 0% finance option, allowing you to spread the payments for your treatment over 12 months with no added interest. Learn more about our finance options here.
How to pay
- You can use private medical insurance (PMI) to access this treatment. We work with all major PMI providers in the UK and many internationally
- You can pay for yourself (self-pay)
- If you’re paying for yourself, we have 0% finance options available with Chrysalis. Find out more here.