There are two different laser treatments to treat diabetic retinopathy. One laser treatment is used to treat diabetic macular edema, the most common "complication" of diabetic retinopathy. The second laser treatment is used to treat proliferative diabetic retinopathy (aka PDR), yet far fewer people develop this potentially blinding stage of the disease. Same Laser Used for Both … [Read more...]
Avastin Treats Cancer, Diabetic Retinopathy and Macular Degeneration
January 15, 2010 By 3 Comments
What do they have in common? Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) happens to be the common denominator between cancer, diabetic retinopathy and "wet" macular degeneration. Surprising that the latest treatments for the the eye are the same chemotherapy treatments for a variety of cancers? Does it seem to you that Avastin is used to treat diabetic macular edema, diabetic retinopathy and … [Read more...]
Avastin Steals The Show: Treatment for Wet Macular Degeneration
December 17, 2009 By 4 Comments
Avastin, in many areas is the preferred treatment for wet macular degeneration. Avastin's generic name is bevacizumab. It is the predecessor to Lucentis and both are made by the same company (Genentech/Roche). Avastin is the third intraocular injection and is also anti-VEGF. Avastin; is NOT FDA approved for the treatment of macular degeneration is the standard of care for the … [Read more...]
Lucentis: Another Shot in the Eye, Effective TX for ARMD
December 16, 2009 By 1 Comment
Lucentis™ is the second intraocular, anti-VEGF injection FDA approved for the treatment of wet macular degeneration. It was approved in 2006. It fast became the mainstay of the treatment for wet macular degeneration. It is still popular today among retina specialists for treatment of wet macular degeneration. Facts About Lucentis FDA approved for the treatment of Wet Macular … [Read more...]
Here’s Blood in Your Eye!
November 6, 2009 By 2 Comments
Blood in your eye can mean many things to different people. The most common "blood" is the sudden appearance of fire engine red blood on the outside of the. It is called a subconjunctival hemorrhage. It is usually scary, painless, ugly and benign. As a black and blue bruise, it will clear in about 1-2 weeks. I am talking about blood inside your eye. Vitreous Hemorrhage - In patients … [Read more...]
Diabetic Retinopathy Vs. Macular Degeneration (Part 1 of 2)
September 14, 2009 By 2 Comments
Happy Monday! Today's post starts a comparison between macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Both diseases have the possibility of causing severe vision loss, but MOST PATIENTS WITH EITHER DISEASE MAINTAIN GOOD USEFUL VISION THROUGH THEIR LIFETIME! If you remember anything about this post, remember this. Neither disease is necessarily an impairment or disability. 1. The NO. 1 … [Read more...]
Combination of Radiation and anti-VEGF Shows Promise
July 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
In article released in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, researchers describe a combination of brachytherapy and intravitreal injections of Avastin to treat patients with choroidal neovascularization from ARMD (the so-called "wet" form of the disease). In this prospective, randomized trial, 34 patients were treated with brachytherapy and two injections of bevacizumab (Avastin®). The … [Read more...]
