Diabetic retinopathy can develop even after cataract surgery: Doc
Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in the subcontinent, said Dr Shobhit Chawla, eminent eye surgeon.
“It is a disease of small blood vessels of the retina due to uncontrolled blood sugar levels causing swelling in the retina due to leakage of fluid/blood,” he said.
The symptoms include gradual decrease in vision in one or both eyes, total blindness in unattended/advanced cases. Initially, diabetic retinopathy may not cause any symptoms, but as the condition progresses, diabetic retinopathy symptoms may include spots or dark strings floating in your vision, blurred vision or vision loss, he added.
The diagnosis is done by clinical examination of the retina, by OCT (optical coherence tomography) imaging and by fluorescein angiography of retinal blood vessels.
Dr Chawla said maintaining good control of blood sugar levels by medication or lifestyle modification and regular retina checkup in all diabetic patients after every six months or one year can help prevent the adverse impact on vision/eyes. He suggested that those vulnerable to diabetic retinopathy should pay attention to the indicators (blood sugar level) in their body.
“It is a myth that diabetic retinopathy is an age-related disease similar to cataract and can be treated just like a day care cataract surgery,” he added.
In fact, diabetic retinopathy is totally different from cataract and can develop even after a successful cataract surgery done in the past.
A diabetic patient may not even develop diabetic retinopathy if he/she is maintaining good blood sugar level consistently. “Risk of developing the eye condition can increase as a result of duration of diabetes. The longer you have diabetes, the greater your risk of developing diabetic retinopathy,” he said.