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Diabetic maculopathy

A

Alex1984!

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi

I've had type 1 diabetes for a number of years. Over the years I've had to see an opthalmologist who I was discharged from. In the last year I've been referred to digital surveillance because I have signs of maculopathy. I recently went for a eye test where the optician said they could hardly see any changes at the back of my eye. Are the NHS generally over cautious with the surveillance?
 
Welcome to the forum. Precisely who referred you?

FWIW my optician always recommends going for retinopathy screening even though her fantastic imaging equipment shows no signs of it whatsoever. I imagine the same advice would apply to digital surveillance.
 
The tests the optician do are not necessarily the same as the retinopathy screening the NHS does and they are likely to have more experience at interpreting the images that your optician.
I pay for macular screening at the optician but still have the NHS screening.
 
This is a new world to me having been diagnosed last July. I have occasional flares of uveitis where I self refer to the hospital. 14 years ago I delayed referring and had a macular oedema which was treated successfully with steroids. Last October I had a cataract op which resulted in a flare of uveitis. In January I was told I had a small oedema. A month later with more eyedrops I thought it would resolve but it didn't. However it didn't worsen. I had second cataract op a couple of appointments later I was told it had resolved but I'm still on drops and I will be seen in 3 months. I've not had eyescreening yet. I got an appointment after first cataract op and got it postponed. At my hospital appointment I asked if the scans I had were the equivalent of eye screening. I'd had a different photo that day. Consultant said it was all clear but to make sure I stayed in the screening programme. I'm going to ask to be screened from next year,
 
JITR said:
Welcome to the forum. Precisely who referred you?

FWIW my optician always recommends going for retinopathy screening even though her fantastic imaging equipment shows no signs of it whatsoever. I imagine the same advice would apply to digital surveillance.
Click to expand...
I was referred for digital surveillance after a regular annual eye screening
 
Alex1984! said:
I was referred for digital surveillance after a regular annual eye screening
Click to expand...
Looks like the people who conducted your annual screening referred you. They must have thought you may be sufficiently at risk of diabetic maculopathy or retinopathy to warrant more frequent screening, as explained on this web page.

Better safe than sorry?
 
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Alex1984! said:
Hi

I've had type 1 diabetes for a number of years. Over the years I've had to see an opthalmologist who I was discharged from. In the last year I've been referred to digital surveillance because I have signs of maculopathy. I recently went for an eye test where the optician said they could hardly see any changes at the back of my eye. Are the NHS generally over cautious with the surveillance?
Click to expand...
I was referred to the hospital for maculopathy, and the technician graded it as 2 and said I had new veins growing. I was given an emergency appointment with a consultant. I was pretty upset because I have tight control and have an hbac1 of 5.3. Consultant was a bit annoyed that the technician has read the scan incorrectly. She said the veins were just ones that everyone has, but are usually not visible except in the eyes of some people with red or blonde hair, and the changes in my eyes were tiny. She regraded it to background retinopathy and grade 1 maculopathy. So even if it’s present, it can just mean really small changes
 
I also got referred by my optician although they said it was probably nothing to worry about as everyone has changes going on in their eyes and generally wasn't diabetes related. However, as I was diabetic they felt it should be looked at.

8 months later when I got my hospital appointment they couldn't find the issues the optician saw and said its just part of the normal 'ebb and flow'.

So based on my limited experience and talking to staff at my appointment they are overly cautious if not necessarily speedy.
 
JITR said:
@everydayupsanddowns

Inview of this thread and @Leadinglights' story here would it be a good idea for Diabetes UK to extend its description of the Complications of Diabetes to these 5 Common Diabetic Eye Problems?

Happy to elaborate on the reasons in a new thread if you wish.
Click to expand...

Thanks I’ll note this and pass it on.

The general DUK page focusses on retinopathy (and describes maculopathy as a form of retinopathy), but less on glaucoma, cataracts, or blurred vision.

Diabetic retinopathy — diabetes and eye problems

What is diabetic retinopathy? Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes. Sometimes called diabetic eye disease, it occurs when high blood sugar levels damage the retina at the back of your eye. This is the seeing part of your eye. If you don’t get this eye problem treated in time, it...
www.diabetes.org.uk www.diabetes.org.uk
 
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