During several years of largely unsuccessful treatment for retinopathy i have often been struck by the importance given to the visual acuity test. {normal eye test}. Of course this is not the only test avilable but I am sure ,as a diabetic hat that my sight would change several times during a day. Even for the non-diabetic different facors can affect the sight.
It never bothered me very miuch as I just assumed it was for purposes of comparison orfor general trend- much like a BP monitor or blood sugar meter.
I was horrified the other day to find though, that when studies have been done and treatments recommended on the basis of these studies some things are considered to be successful on he basis of a one- leter improvement in tthe visual acuity tests!
This means that he already comparaively poor success rates for many treaments [21^ is considered a great success}might be considered very "dodgy" indeed! From my own experience I have different results according to which end of the examining room the test is carried out.
I am aware that everyone feels hat any condition they suffer from is worthy of extra funding but
although O have every confidence in my consultant/surgeon I feel that this area {diabetic retinopathy and particularly macular oedema} need much more in the way of urgent research - if here is such a thing= . Feedback from patients could be very important. There is no way hat the Drs can see what you - the paient see and paients very often do not realise this.
I am fortunate enough o see someone who isn't afraid to admit that he has no idea what the rffrct of some of these procedures is on the patient as he has never experienced them.
There are things which should not be done bi-laterally ,for example because he patient could be left
blind for a period of time. An inexperienced Dr recently tried to do something of the sort o me. Had I no had experience of the sffecs of his procedure n one eye I would not be typing this now.
Even the consultant didn't know!
I also believe that this is another area which is changing because of the huge influx of new paients T2s referred because of he screening programme.Maybe seeing more people and many at a younger age will atrac more money and better reatments.
I am quite unhapppy at he thought that many of the treatments I undergo- sometimes affecting my life for considerable periods of time could be based on an individual's Bg being lower one particular morning.
It never bothered me very miuch as I just assumed it was for purposes of comparison orfor general trend- much like a BP monitor or blood sugar meter.
I was horrified the other day to find though, that when studies have been done and treatments recommended on the basis of these studies some things are considered to be successful on he basis of a one- leter improvement in tthe visual acuity tests!
This means that he already comparaively poor success rates for many treaments [21^ is considered a great success}might be considered very "dodgy" indeed! From my own experience I have different results according to which end of the examining room the test is carried out.
I am aware that everyone feels hat any condition they suffer from is worthy of extra funding but
although O have every confidence in my consultant/surgeon I feel that this area {diabetic retinopathy and particularly macular oedema} need much more in the way of urgent research - if here is such a thing= . Feedback from patients could be very important. There is no way hat the Drs can see what you - the paient see and paients very often do not realise this.
I am fortunate enough o see someone who isn't afraid to admit that he has no idea what the rffrct of some of these procedures is on the patient as he has never experienced them.
There are things which should not be done bi-laterally ,for example because he patient could be left
blind for a period of time. An inexperienced Dr recently tried to do something of the sort o me. Had I no had experience of the sffecs of his procedure n one eye I would not be typing this now.
Even the consultant didn't know!
I also believe that this is another area which is changing because of the huge influx of new paients T2s referred because of he screening programme.Maybe seeing more people and many at a younger age will atrac more money and better reatments.
I am quite unhapppy at he thought that many of the treatments I undergo- sometimes affecting my life for considerable periods of time could be based on an individual's Bg being lower one particular morning.
