proliferative retinopathy

SouthernGeneral6512 · Jun 4, 2012

Just wondering what peopels experience of the laser scatter gun for proliferative retinopathy is. My doctor said that you get some lessening of the central vision with it even though there are no burns there

Defren · Jun 4, 2012

I can't help, but there is a poster called Unbeliever, she has had loads of experience of this, as others here have, but I know she knows a lot about it. I am sure she will help when she sees your post.

SouthernGeneral6512 · Jun 4, 2012

Thanks for that it's a daunting thought TBH :shock:

Unbeliever · Jun 5, 2012

I I am not claiming any expertise just had a lot of experience. I suppose what your dr said is true . The extent depends on the intensity of the laser and the extent of the lasering. You are probably unlikely to notice much difference unless and until you have had several sessions of laser.

I have been having laser reatment for 5 years now .I also have macular oedema. I am very grateful o be able to see at all.

I have had so many sessions of laser i can't remember the number but it has been several times a year. Sometimes my vision is affected by the laser , someimes not.

When i began I could read the smallest print without glassses On a good day now and after steroid injections and in a good light i can sometimes read a little for a few minutes wihout my trusty magnifying glass.

This happened very gradually and occasionally improves for a short time. Unfortunately , it has to be said that some laser surgeons or operators are more skilful than others.

the good news is that most people respond much better than I do to laser and don't need the amount of treatment i have had,.

Any loss of central vision may well be minimal and unnoticeable. Just one session may be sufficient
for some. Hope this helps. If you are about to have laser reatment , I shouldn't worry ttoo much . I have advanced retinopahy, maculopathy and macular oedema - all in both eyes and I am still able to see {typos notwithstanding}.

SouthernGeneral6512 · Jun 5, 2012

That you for such a detailed reply and taking so much time on my behalf it was very helpful :clap:.

I suppose it's just a bit frustrating being in this time with this technology I have used the zebra fish as my avatar because not only can it regenerate it's optic nerve it can do the same with it's heart (I had a heart attack 6 weeks ago). I guess we mammals aren't quite "all that" after all :lolno:.

It's very interesting that you can sometimes have no change in vision after laser I was reading the 4th post in this and he said that he has had no change in his vision after 6,000 hits which I find remarkable

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12810&p=117404&hilit=help%2C+i%27ve+now+got+retinopathy.....%E2%80%A6+6%2C000+hits#p117404

Thanks again and all the best
JIM

Unbeliever · Jun 5, 2012

it is acually quie difficult to assess vision once you have retinopathy. I had my close vision measured only once at my first visit o the eye clinic.. Now they just use the visual acuity chart which they recognise does not ell the whole story.

It can be affected by many things so they also need to ask the patient how he /she thinks their vision is. They cannot see what you can see" Of course any diabetic's vision can and does change according to the state of their bp and bg and other matters such as the time of day.

Therefore when the poster in your link says they had no loss of vision it would be almost impossible to prove or disprove thos statement.as it is only based on the previous test which may or may not have been accurate.

As I said any loss of vision is very gradual and it is very diffficult to differentiate between loss of vision from the condition and loss of vision from the reatment. It is far from an exact science.

My vision as tested on the visual acuity chart corresponds to the state of my condition. The impaired central vision is from my own observation over 5 years of treatment. I know I can no longer read wihout a magnifying glass.And sometimes not even with one.

Hope this clarifies it for you.Probably just the opposite!
Please don't worry. You may evenexperiwnce an improvement in vision but you have to allow a few weeks as th elaser goes on working after the treatment.

In that link it also staes that any vision lost cannot be regained .That is true but sometimes it seems that vision has been lost but things c improve because the vision was not lost but temporarily obscured.

noblehead · Jun 5, 2012

SouthernGeneral6512 said:
It's very interesting that you can sometimes have no change in vision after laser I was reading the 4th post in this and he said that he has had no change in his vision after 6,000 hits which I find remarkable

Jim, once you've had laser treatment it is a requirement by the DVLA that you have a field vision test to check for any blind spots in your vision, I have to undergo this every 3 years when my licence comes up for renewal and so far have past each time.

SouthernGeneral6512 · Jun 5, 2012

I've been going a few runs in my car out into the country since I got the diagnoses 10 days ago assuming the worst ... it's been nice but a little sad too I guess.

What treatment did you have was it the little spots for the new blood vessels? I initially thought that the treatment for that was to cauterise them with the laser but now I realise that they make lots of little spots on the retina to encourage them to shrink.

SouthernGeneral6512 · Jun 5, 2012

Unbeliever said:
it is acually quie difficult to assess vision once you have retinopathy. I had my close vision measured only once at my first visit o the eye clinic.. Now they just use the visual acuity chart which they recognise does not ell the whole story.

It can be affected by many things so they also need to ask the patient how he /she thinks their vision is. They cannot see what you can see" Of course any diabetic's vision can and does change according to the state of their bp and bg and other matters such as the time of day.

Therefore when the poster in your link says they had no loss of vision it would be almost impossible to prove or disprove thos statement.as it is only based on the previous test which may or may not have been accurate.

As I said any loss of vision is very gradual and it is very diffficult to differentiate between loss of vision from the condition and loss of vision from the reatment. It is far from an exact science.

My vision as tested on the visual acuity chart corresponds to the state of my condition. The impaired central vision is from my own observation over 5 years of treatment. I know I can no longer read wihout a magnifying glass.And sometimes not even with one.

Hope this clarifies it for you.Probably just the opposite!
Please don't worry. You may evenexperiwnce an improvement in vision but you have to allow a few weeks as th elaser goes on working after the treatment.
In that link it also staes that any vision lost cannot be regained .That is true but sometimes it seems that vision has been lost but things c improve because the vision was not lost but temporarily obscured.

Thank you once again there is so much in your posts :thumbup:. I do take your point that vision is a very personal thing and not entirely about eye charts.

That's interesting that there can still be an improvement weeks after the laser ... perhaps this is because of rewiring in the brain?

I find that time of day is quite important to my vision ... perhaps it just gets tired more quickly than it used to after all everything gets tired more quickly now with the diabetes.

Can I ask you how your night vision was after the first laser session quite a lot is made of this on all the web sites

noblehead · Jun 5, 2012

SouthernGeneral6512 said:
What treatment did you have was it the little spots for the new blood vessels? I initially thought that the treatment for that was to cauterise them with the laser but now I realise that they make lots of little spots on the retina to encourage them to shrink.

Jim, read the link in your earlier post and you'll read my experience of laser treatment.

SouthernGeneral6512 · Jun 5, 2012

noblehead said:
SouthernGeneral6512 said:

What treatment did you have was it the little spots for the new blood vessels? I initially thought that the treatment for that was to cauterise them with the laser but now I realise that they make lots of little spots on the retina to encourage them to shrink.

Click to expand...

Jim, read the link in your earlier post and you'll read my experience of laser treatment.

That's great news that you are still able to drive after so much laser. Perhaps you have some genetic advantage that lets this happen where others would have been off the road long ago?

I think that the retinopathy is the price I am paying too for neglecting my condition ... if I could meet my younger self it wouldn't be a pretty sight roblem:

proliferative retinopathy

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