Last Updated on May 4, 2024
Diabetics may suffer from several different vision complications. Anyone diagnosed with diabetes is more likely to suffer from cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic macular edema. Diabetic macular edema, in particular, is one of the leading causes of vision loss in diabetes, affecting close to one-fifth of all diabetics. Losing your vision is a scary thought, but one technology company is changing the way the diabetic community looks at vision treatment.
Dr. Issac Lipshitz, the CEO of OptoLight Vision Technology, developed a mini telescope that can be implanted in the eye to remedy vision complications. The telescope is surgically placed inside of the eye and magnifies parts of the vision. The telescope reduces the “blacked out” areas that are caused from advanced complications in the eye. The microscope is 3.6 mm in diameter and 4.4 mm in length. The device is housed in a casing made of polymethylmethacrylate, which is a safe substance in the eye. The microscope is placed in only one of the patients’ eye; the other is used for peripheral sight.
Diabetic macular edema (DME) develops when vessels in the retina of the eye are leaking fluid. The macula is a tiny area in the retina. DME occurs when a person with diabetes has retinopathy that goes untreated over a period. Symptoms of DME include blurry vision, double vision, and “floaters”, and eventually blindness.
The longer someone has been diagnosed with diabetes, the more likely they are to develop any vision problems. Currently, laser surgery is the best available option for treatment, but for people with diabetes laser surgery typically leads to other complications.
OptoLight Vision Technology, the leading company behind the mini telescopes, is the first to have FDA approval for this type of vision-enhancing technology. OptoLight’s website details that the telescope isn’t exactly a “cure” for macular degeneration, but it is a huge step in giving eyesight to those that have lost it. The site goes on to say that the telescope can give back the ability to do many of the things they love, like being able to recognize the faces and facial expressions of friends and relatives, watch TV, cook, sightsee, and read.
The FDA has approved the use of the mini telescope, but not for diabetics yet. The FDA cited that diabetics had a higher risk of having complications after surgeries. While the surgery is minimally invasive, the FDA still has fears of diabetics having the telescope. As more patients undergo the process, and we begin to see positive results, the FDA will reconsider their stance on diabetics and the microscope. Visioncare has not released any hard statistics on the patient satisfaction, but they have said that, “The telescope implant integral to the program has been shown to improve vision and quality of life by varying levels in qualified patients who have End-Stage Age-related macular degeneration.”
One of the biggest fears people have after being diagnosed with diabetes is the idea of losing their vision. Inventions like the mini telescope could eventually eliminate the idea of diabetics losing their vision. OptoLight’s mini telescope isn’t the only advancement in eye care, but it is the most exciting.
As a person with diabetes, it’s important to take special care of your vision. Be sure to schedule a vision check-up at least once a year. Keeping your sugar levels steady will keep your vision clear for years to come.
