Ophthalmologist & Facial Aesthetics
Ophthalmologist & Facial Aesthetics
Diabetes affects every organ in the body that has a blood and nerve supply, the eye is no different in this regard. If left undiagnosed, unmonitored or untreated, Diabetes can ravage the eye in multiple ways to result in blindness.
Diabetic retinopathy: The blood vessels in diabetes are fragile and weak which leads to blood clots, leakage of blood under the retina and macula (diabetic macula edema) and frank bleeding into the retina or vitreous gel in the back of the eye. Nerve tissue damage & Dry Eye Syndrome Infections & slow healing Cataracts Glaucoma Retinal detachment & scarring Muscle damage with squints Permanent vision loss
The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) and American Diabetes Association (ADA) in 2018 have recommend the following:
All Type 2 diabetics must have a comprehensive ophthalmologist assessment when they are 1st diagnosed & thereafter, at the very least, once a year. The appointments may be more frequent (with poor diabetic control) or less frequent (with good diabetic control, an optimal exercise programme & a healthy diabetic diet).
All Type 1 diabetics must have a comprehensive ophthalmologist assessment within 5 years being diagnosed & thereafter, at the very least, once a year. The appointments may be more frequent (with poor diabetic control) or less frequent (with good diabetic control, an optimal exercise programme & a healthy diabetic diet).
All Pregnant Diabetic Women (Type 1 & Type 2) must have comprehensive ophthalmologist assessments every trimester and for 1 year
after birth.
During a comprehensive diabetic ophthalmic assessment and screening, the following tests are performed:
A detailed vision assessment. A dilated retinal eye examination which involves a detailed examination of your retina (back layer of the eye). Eye drops are instilled to dilate (enlarge) the pupil for a more thorough examination.
The medicated eye drops cause transient (4-6 hours) blurring of vision & light sensitivity so it is always advisable be prepared: 
Bring a pair of sunglasses Do not schedule any activities for after your appointment Arrange for a friend/relative/car service to drive you home
Retinal scans (Optical Coherence Tomography) are performed Eye pressures are assessed
As part of the comprehensive diabetic eye screening/assessment, medicated eye drops are instilled to dilate the pupil. Although these
eye drops are not painful, it does cause transient blurred vision and light sensitivity, which can be a little disorienting. 3 things you can
do to make the experience seamless are:
▪ Bring a pair of sunglasses with you to the appointment. This is helpful in mitigating the light sensitivity after the assessment is
complete.
▪ Make sure you have not scheduled any important activities after your diabetic assessment. Most people tend to go home and rest for a few hours as the eye recovers.
▪ It is highly recommended that you arrange for a friend/relative/car service to drive you home as it is unsafe to do so while your pupils are still dilated.
The treatment of Diabetic eye disorders is 2-fold:
1. PREVENTION Maintaining consistent & optimal blood sugar levels with the aid of medication, an exercise routine and a dietician-endorsed diabetic diet – GP/Physician Yearly Diabetic eye assessments and testing with Dr. Djan
2. TREATMENTS
Diabetic retinopathy is treated with medicated eye injection therapy and/or diabetic laser eye therapy. Diabetic cataracts are treated much like regular cataracts with advanced cataract refractive surgery. Diabetic glaucoma is treated with glaucoma surgery, medicated eye injection therapy and/or diabetic laser eye therapy.
The pupils are dilated and numbed with special eye drops before laser therapy commences. Diabetic laser eye therapy is mostly painless, but some patients may encounter mild to moderate discomfort.
This is an office procedure lasting about 15 minutes and involves Dr. Djan placing a gentle contact lens on the eye to focus the laser beam pulses onto the retina (nerve and blood vessel layer at the back of the eye).
Blurred vision after the laser therapy is common for the 1st 6 hours and is normal. The laser therapy sessions may need to be repeated inna few weeks depending on the severity of the diabetic eye disease and how well the eye responded to the previous treatment.
Yes. Don’t allow costs to limit your eye health and aesthetic appearance. Tailored Finance options are available to suit your individual needs.