diabetic retinopathy, vitrectomy, and retinal detachment

[ozone7777]

My dad has type two diabetes and he has been diagonosed with diabetic retinopathy, and I don't know how to help him. i was wondering if there was anybody who knows of good opthamologists that can perform a vitrectomy, or that might have any other solutions for diabetic retinopathy. if anyone could give me any kind of feedback on diabetic retinopathy, doctors, or even anything that you think might help in any way that would be greatly appreciated. because i am desperate and it hurts me and my family so bad to have to see my dad go through the loss of his vision.

[JDRF-Team-ES]

I am so sorry about your Dad. As you probably already know, diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes.  There are some things that can be done to treat diabetic retinopathy.  The success of the treatment is dependent on how advanced the retinopathy is and how much damage has already occurred.  This is why it is important for all diabetics to have their eyes checked regularly by an opthamologist.  With early detection, there is a better chance of preventing further damage.  Of course, maintaining good blood sugar control is another critical factor in preventing this disease and minimizing the damage once it has begun.

The first step is finding an Opthamologist who specializes in treating the retina.  Eye surgeons are very specialized.  The eye is very complex and you want to find a doctor who has had  experience working on the retina. I don't know where you live, but there are specialists all around the country.  Ask your Dad's diabetes doctor or your local JDRF Chapter for some names of Retinal Specialists.  You might even try going online and looking up Retina Specialists.  I again emphasize that you do not want just a regular eye doctor or even an eye doctor who specializes in eye surgery or Corneas or any of the other areas of the eye. You want someone who does RETINAS.  I am a little fanatic about this because I know that trainng and experience make a huge difference when you are dealing with something as small, complex and important as the eye.  Once you get some names, find out how long they have been working in this area.  Talk to other people who have had this type of surgery and see who they have used.  Eventually one or two names may emerge as the doctors to go to.  There is never a guarantee of success, but doing your homework upfront can at least give you a little edge.

This may also be a good time for you and your family to support your Dad in the daily struggle we all have of managing and contro;lling our blood sugars.  I'm sure he can use all the suport he can get from you.  He may be very motivated right now because of these problems and it might be agood time to ask if there is anything you can do that would be helpful to him in the area of blood sugar control.

I have had diabetes for 40 years and was diagnosed with retinopathy over 20 years ago.  At the time, the research was cut short because they discovered that if they lasered eyes that were begining to show signs of retinopathy, they could prevent damage to the eyes.  I was one of those whose eyes were lasered before I had any damage and fortunately I have enjoyed great vision and no problems all these years.  I was also fortunate that there were so many new ways to control blood sugars that didn't even exist when I was a kid, so that I could get my blood sugar in better control.  We can all be thankful for all the research sponsored by JDRF, because the advances have been truly miraculous for those of us who have been around for a long time.  I have had excellent Retina doctors and owe much to them,not only for their skills, but for keeping up with the research and the training

I know this is a very difficult time for your Dad and your family, but hopefully, with some skilled treatment, he can retain some of his vision and prevent further loss.  I wish you luck and success.  Let us know how things turn out.
Es