The retinal specialists at Eye Physicians of Florida are among the most experienced in the country providing medications such as Lucentis, Eylea, and Avastin for conditions such as Age Related Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Macular Edema, and Vascular occlusions of the retina. Triesence is also available when needed. Additionally, Jetrea, a newer treatment for macular holes and vitreo-retinal adherence is available which allows our doctors to treat conditions with an injection in the office rather than requiring an operating room based surgical procedure.

Diabetes and diabetic-related eye diseases are quite prevalent in South Florida. Now, for the first time in medical history, patients with Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) have access to an FDA-approved medicine called Lucentis that is shown to help them rapidly regain vision.  Previous treatments for Diabetic Macular Edema stabilized vision, but did not increase patients sight.  For the first time, we have a treatment that can improve vision.

Our goal at Eye Physicians of Florida has always been to offer patients the most advanced, comprehensive eye care available today. We’re proud of our history of introducing new lens implants for cataract patients, breakthroughs in laser technology for nearsighted and farsighted patients and in treating astigmatism.

However, today’s announcement may be among our most significant. The ability to restore ‘lost vision’ from diabetes-related eye disease is extremely rare. The announcement from Genentech – the manufacturer of Lucentis – is one of the most dramatic breakthroughs in ophthalmic research history and we’re extremely proud to be able to offer this treatment to our diabetic patients.

This approval is an important advancement in the fight against blindness for diabetic patients. With Lucentis now available for our DME patients, therapy can begin immediately in an effort to restore lost vision and make a significant difference in the lives of our patients with DME.

DME is an eye condition that causes blurred vision, severe vision loss and sometimes blindness. Diabetes is now the leading cause of new cases of blindness in working-aged Americans, and DME is estimated to affect more than 560,000 people with diabetes.

Lucentis and Eylea are FDA approved for diabetic eye disease. Many clinical trials have shown that these medications can often stop further visual loss and in many cases can improve vision. Without this type of treatment, it is highly unlikely that any visual improvement in DME patients would be achieved. In all likelihood, most DME patients would continue to lose vision without treatment.

Prior to this announcement, the the standard of care in the U.S. for DME has been laser surgery, which slows the rate of vision loss and helps stabilize vision, but has demonstrated only limited ability to restore lost vision. That is why the Lucentis announcement is so promising.

For patients with diabetes or diabetic eye diseases – such as DME – we encourage you to schedule a comprehensive evaluation to determine if you’re a candidate for this new therapy by calling us at 954-851-9966.