Leakage elsewhere in the retina will usually have no effect on vision. In many cases treatment for diabetic retinopathy is not necessary, but you will need to continue having regular eye exams . For example, strict control of blood sugar levels can reduce or prevent diabetic retinopathy. In other cases, treatment is recommended to stop the damage of diabetic retinopathy and improve sight. The ophthalmologist will consider your age, medical history, lifestyle, and the amount of retinal damage before making a decision to treat or not.
Laser surgery is often helpful in treating diabetic retinopathy.
A powerful beam of laser light is focused on the damaged retina and many small bursts of the laser's beam are used to seal leaking retinal vessels to reduce macular edema. For abnormal blood vessel growth, laser beam bursts are focused in an area or scattered over the retina. The small laser scars that result will reduce abnormal blood vessel growth and help bond the retina to the back of the eye, thus preventing retinal detachment. Laser surgery may be performed in your ophthalmologist's office or in an outpatient clinic. If diabetic retinopathy is detected early, laser surgery will slow down loss of vision.