Diabetic Macular Edema Treatment with VEGF Injections

Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) is a common cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. In fact it is one of the most frequent causes of vision problems in diabetics. Until recently diabetic laser treatment was the preferred treatment option for diabetic macular edema. According to researchers reporting in the American Journal of Ophthalmology reviewing and publishing 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 such as Lucentis® and Eylea®.

Results of Diabetic Macular Edema Treatment with Anti VEGF Injections
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. Please call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center, Google+ or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter to schedule an appointment.

The Eye Care & Surgery Center is located at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, and is conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.