Laser Eye Surgery for Diabetic Patients

For the diabetic patients, whether or not to have laser eye surgery in Abu Dhabi depends on the severity of diabetes.

Patients with type-1 diabetes need controlling their blood sugar level with insulin whereas for the type-2 patients, they can manage the disease with particular diet. Diabetes leads to the development of a condition known as diabetic retinopathy during which blood vessels and the light-sensitive tissue at the rear of the retina are damaged. In this case, one may be eligible to undergo laser therapy but even here, it wouldn’t be the usual laser treatment associated with typical Lasik.

Laser eye surgery in Abu Dhabi for specific diabetic cases can be complicated. For instance, mild or pre-existing diabetic retinopathy may deter surgeon from carrying out the procedure while the treatment may not affect central part of the vision. It’s also important for the blood sugar levels are well controlled to optimise effectiveness of the laser vision correction and enduring lasting effects.

Each time when the blood sugar level fluctuates, so does the prescription of your eyeglasses making it difficult for surgeons to take accurate measurements before recommending laser surgery. Diabetes as compared to those who don’t experience slower healing following laser therapy and for this very reason, surgeons are likely to insist IntraLASIK which is faster than the traditional Lasik.

Possible complications

Diabetics need having regular eye check-ups due to excess suffering from retinopathy as part of the disease’s many complications. It’s a serious condition that may lead to significant vision reduction and gradual blindness in severe cases. Early detection and undergoing laser eye surgery in Abu Dhabi in a timely manner is one way of treating the condition especially if someone’s already suffering from macula or proliferative retinopathy.

It must be noted however that laser treatment would only stop the condition from worsening but won’t bring back the vision that has already been lost. Lasik for myopia (long-sightedness) is possible but it isn’t suitable in all the cases as diabetes may cause abnormalities in the cornea, rendering the therapy useless.

Development of retinopathy

Although retinopathy is common amongst the diabetes especially those with the type-1, the risk of developing this particular disease is reduced. Certain risk factors include;

• Period of diabetes (retinopathy is found in more or less 90-percent patients having diabetes for above 30 years)
• High blood pressure
• Poor glucose control
• Anomaly in the kidney
• Obesity and high-cholesterol
• Smoking

Minimising the chances of retinopathy development is possible if patients maintain a healthy BMI, regular workouts, control their glucose, quit smoking and regulate blood pressure only through healthy diet.

Working of the laser treatment

Fluid leaks and micro-bleeding in the retina happens when a patient’s suffering from retinopathy thereby restricting blood flow and causing growth of new abnormal blood vessels. This process is known as photocoagulation; the burns made by the laser are tiny that can treat even the smallest blood vessels.

Conclusion

When undergoing laser eye surgery being a diabetic, be sure you follow the details above for accuracy of the treatment.