Treating diabetic retinopathy with both laser and anti-VEGF injections may be the best way to treat patients with diabetic macular edema. Diabetic macular edema is the most common "side effect" of diabetic retinopathy and is the leading cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes. The results of a large, multicenter, randomized clinical trial compared several permutations of laser and the … [Read more...]
Macular Edema: So Many Types
February 18, 2010 By 2 Comments
Macular edema simply means accumulation, or build-up, of fluid of the macula. Synonyms include; clinically significant macular edema (CSME), diabetic macular edema (DME), cystoid macular edema (CME) and retinal edema. There are slight nuances with some of the terms, but basically it means "swelling." Macular Edema - a generic term indicating fluid build up in the macula, but can be from any … [Read more...]
Iluvien® For Diabetic Macular Edema Has Eyes on FDA
December 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment
™Alimera Sciences' "Iluvien®" moves closer to FDA approval for the treatment of diabetic macular edema. Iluvien is an extended release drug delivery system designed for direct intravitreal injection to the eye. Iluvien will release a steroid, fluocinolone acetonide, for up to 36 months to treat retinal swelling. The company has announced pivotal results in the ongoing FAME (Fluocinolone … [Read more...]
Steroids Likely to Help Diabetes
December 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Ok, maybe a bit dramatic, but another article was recently published stating that intravitreal injections were used with success to treat diabetic macular edema. These effects lasted at least 5 years, the duration of the study. This was a small study where two groups were compared. One group received intravitreal injections of triamcinalone (a steroid) for the treatment of diabetic … [Read more...]
Eye Injections Challenge Eye Laser for Diabetic Retinopathy
December 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment
There is a small study just published in the journal "Ophthalmology" stating that intraocular injections of Lucentis® were superior to laser photocoagulation for the treatment of diabetic macular edema. As you read this, don't forget that the "gold-standard" for treatment of diabetic macular edema is still laser photocoagulation. These "studies" are very small and not of the caliber needed to … [Read more...]
Intraocular Drug System Passing FDA Testing
October 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Earlier this week, I wrote about a device, Iluvien ™, that will release steroid into the eye. This drug delivery system is manufactured by Alimera Sciences. Read my earlier post "Company Hopes Injectable Implant To Cure Diabetic Macular Edema." Alimera Sciences has announced that early data is showing that the drug system is safe and effective in humans. The results are preliminary, … [Read more...]
Company Hopes Injectable Implant Cures Diabetic Macular Edema
September 28, 2009 By 6 Comments
Alimera Sciences hopes that its Iluvien ™ insert will be effective against diabetic macular edema. Iluvien™ will release a steroid called fluocinalone acetonide (FA) after insertion into the eye. The Iluvien™ system will deliver the steroid for up to 3 years. It is anticipated that intraocular steroid release may control macular edema and improve vision. The company has a study … [Read more...]
Diabetic Retinopathy Vs. Macular Degeneration (Part 2 of 2)
September 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Good Morning! This is part 2 of 2. Part 1 was posted yesterday. Read Part 1. 6. Treatment with Avastin® or other anti-VEGF inhibitors Technically, both diseases may be treated with anti-VEGF inhibitors. Presently, I sometimes treat the neovascular component of diabetic retinopathy with Avastin® if pan-retinal laser photocoagulation (standard treatment) fails. More often, using … [Read more...]
Ozurdex Implant Likely to Help Diabetic Macular Edema
September 8, 2009 By
There is a new implant available to us in the United States for treatment of macular swelling (edema). The implant, Ozurdex®, is a product of Allergan Pharmaceuticals and received FDA approval in June 2009 for treatment of macular edema caused by retinal vascular occlusions. Ozurdex® is now available for your doctor to use when indicated. What does Ozurdex have to do with diabetic … [Read more...]
Can Patients with Diabetes Get Laser Vision Correction?
August 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Yes, maybe and no. This is a hard question to answer. The "Yes" answer. In my opinion, patients without diabetes, usually do well with laser vision correction, e.g. LASIK, if they meet certain criteria and their vision and correction is stable. By "correction" I mean that their prescription (measurement for glasses) is unchanged. The criteria that usually needs to be considered are; … [Read more...]
