Treatment
One of the main motivations for screening
for diabetic retinopathy is the longestablished
efficacy of laser photocoagulation
surgery in preventing visual loss.
Two large trials, the Diabetic Retinopathy
Study (DRS) in patients with PDR and
the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy
Study (ETDRS) in patients with macular
edema, provide the strongest support
for the therapeutic benefits of photocoagulation
surgery. The DRS (52) showed
that panretinal photocoagulation surgery
reduced the risk of severe vision loss from
PDR from 15.9% in untreated eyes to
6.4% in treated eyes, with the greatest
risk-benefit ratio in those with baseline
disease (disc neovascularization or vitreous
hemorrhage).