The population of people suffering from diabetes is rapidly increasing, from an estimated 110 million in 1994 to 221 million in 2010. Diabetic macular edema is the most common reason for reduction in visual acuity in diabetic patients. The standard care for diabetic macular edema is focal and /or grid retinal photocoagulation. During photocoagulation, small laser burns are applied to the retina, the sensory tissue that lines the back of the eye. Studies have shown that photocoagulation of clinically significant diabetic macular edema substantially reduces the risk of visual loss, increase the chance of visual improvement and decrease the frequency of persistent macular edema. However, it remains unknown whether the destruction of sensory layer of the retina during photocoagulation that may cause visual field defects is necessary for successful treatment or is just an unwanted and unnecessary side effect. Based on these concept, a photocoagulation technique was developed to treat the retina selectively (SRT - Selective retinal therapy), with minimal or no damage to the sensory layers. While the treatment is very similar to regular photocoagulation, the SRT laser uses much lower energy and very short pulses. As a result, treatment does not result in visible burns to the retina and previous studies have shown that the sensory layer remains intact. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of SRT on the resolution of the edema.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
32
grid selective retinal treatment
Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
Tel Aviv, Israel
Sheba Medical Center
Tel Hahsomer, Israel
progression of macular edema
Proportion progressing to center involved macular edema by month 12 as confirmed on SD-OCT
Time frame: 12months
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