September 1, 2001
Community Resources, Complications
Question from Los Angeles, California, USA:
What hospitals and/or research institutions are the best [nationally and worldwide] for treating diabetic retinopathy?
Answer:
Treating diabetic retinopathy has a standard protocol that was the result of The Diabetic Retinopathy Study and The Early Treatment and Diabetic Retinopathy Study. All treating doctors and doctors-in-training follow these well established treatment protocols. You may be able to search the Internet for a list of facilities that participated in these studies.
My advice for you is to seek a board-certified retinal specialist in your area who has a practice with a large patient population of patients with diabetes. Make an appointment to evaluate your level of confidence in the doctor. If a patient has diabetic retinopathy at the level where surgical intervention is indicated time may be a more important factor then the facility.
CAG
[Editor’s comment: See the American Diabetes Association’s Position Statement on Diabetic Retinopathy.
You can also contact your local chapter of the American Diabetes Association for a list of specialists in your area.
SS]
