Conservative treatment of diabetic retinopathy (maculopathy) in Eye Center Frankfurt

About the department

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Ophthalmology at the Eye Center Frankfurt provides the full range of medical services for the prevention, diagnostics and treatment of diseases of the eye and its appendages. The department's specialists admit not only adults, but also children with visual impairments. The patients of the department are offered various types of conservative therapy and surgical treatment. The medical facility has three high-tech operating rooms for performing surgery on the eye apparatus. Prior to prescribing any treatment, the department's doctors conduct comprehensive diagnostics to identify the causes of visual impairment and select the most effective therapeutic regimen, if possible conservative. The patients receive treatment from highly trained professionals with extensive clinical experience. The department's ophthalmologists regularly increase their knowledge and improve their professional skills, thanks to which patients receive high-quality treatment that meets modern medical standards. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Frank Koch. According to the Focus magazine, the doctor is included in the ranking of the best German experts specializing in the treatment of retinal diseases!

Cataract (partial or complete clouding of the lens) is one of the most common ophthalmic diseases in the world, so the department's doctors often deal with the treatment of this pathology. In most cases, the disease is a consequence of age-related changes, but there are other reasons for its development. Cataracts also occur in children. Without timely treatment, cataracts lead to irreversible blindness, so the department's doctors strongly recommend that patients do not postpone a visit to a specialist if their vision deteriorates. At the stage of diagnostics, a slit lamp exam is mandatory, visual acuity charts are used, and the lens is examined with eye drop pupil dilation. The only effective treatment for mature cataracts is the removal of the clouded lens and its replacement with an artificial intraocular lens. The classic type of cataract surgery is phacoemulsification followed by the artificial lens implantation. When performing the intervention, the ophthalmologist removes the clouded area of ​​the lens using ultrasound, while the lens capsule is not damaged. The intervention is performed through a millimeter incision, which does not require suturing at the end of the operation. The department's doctors use local anesthesia, most often with the help of eye drops. After the operation, the patient is under supervision for some time and can return home after the doctor conducts a follow-up examination and provides the necessary recommendations.

Another common eye disease is glaucoma. The pathology is characterized by rapid progression and the development of irreversible blindness. However, the disease can be successfully treated if the patient contacts the ophthalmologist on time. The causes of glaucoma are elevated intraocular pressure and deteriorated aqueous humor outflow. The disease affects both adults and children. During the diagnostics, the department's doctors measure intraocular pressure, examine the drainage system of the eye (inflow and outflow of aqueous humor), evaluate visual fields, examine the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye, determine the amount of excavation and the thickness of the nerve fibers. Depending on the stage of the disease, the specialists prescribe the optimal type of treatment – drug therapy, laser therapy or surgery. The essence of drug treatment is to take medications to lower intraocular pressure. Doctors are also considering laser treatment methods that allow patients to quickly and painlessly improve intraocular aqueous humor outflow without the surgical intervention. Complex and advanced clinical cases require glaucoma surgery, which is the most effective therapeutic technique. In some situations, it is possible to perform combined surgical interventions for glaucoma and cataract treatment. The department's doctors devote enough time to examining the patient, which allows them to choose the best therapeutic solution.

The department's doctors often deal with the treatment of retinal detachment. With the development of this disease, detachment of the retina from other membranes of the eye occurs, which leads to impaired vision. The risks of developing partial or complete loss of vision in retinal detachment are quite high. The only effective treatment is surgery. Pars plana vitrectomy is the gold standard for retinal detachment surgery. As a rule, surgeons use minimally invasive techniques – instruments are inserted into the eye through small punctures in the sclera. After removing the vitreous body, doctors have convenient access to the retina and can perform all the necessary manipulations on it. The operation can be performed both under general and local anesthesia.

The specialists of the medical facility also regularly provide treatment to patients with diabetic retinopathy, keratoconus, age-related macular degeneration, macular edema, vitreous hemorrhages, presbyopia, myopia and other eye diseases. Conservative methods are used as first-line treatment, but if such therapy does not give the desired result, or doctors are convinced that surgery will be the only effective treatment, a decision is made to perform it.

The specialized pediatric ophthalmologists provide their services to young patients with various visual impairments. The experts recommend the examination by an ophthalmologist, starting at the age of 2-3 years. If there are additional risks, screening can be performed before the age of 2 years. If any pathological changes are detected in the child's eye apparatus, doctors plan further therapeutic measures in order to restore the vision of the young patient.

The department specializes in the diagnostics and treatment of the following eye diseases:

• Cataract
• Glaucoma
• Presbyopia
• Diabetic macular edema
• Vitreous hemorrhage
• Vitreous opacity
• Astigmatism
• Myopia
• Macular edema
• Retinal detachment
• Hyperopia (farsightedness)
• Age-related macular degeneration
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Keratoconus
• Dry eye syndrome
• Uveitis
• Visual impairment in children
• Other diseases of the eye and its appendages

The department's diagnostic and therapeutic options include:

• Diagnostics
  • Optical coherence tomography
  • Examination using the Pentacam device (tomography of the anterior segment of the eye)
  • Preliminary diagnostics before cataract surgery
  • Intraocular pressure measurement (tonometry)
  • Visual acuity test
  • Contrast sensitivity test
  • Visual field assessment (perimetry)
  • Pupil reaction testing
  • Eye movement testing
  • Analysis of an image of the retina using digital systems
  • Fluorescein angiography
• Treatment
  • Intravitreal injections
  • Drug carrier implantation into the vitreous body
  • Laser treatment of diabetic retinal lesions, tears or holes in the retina and macular edema
  • Pars plana vitrectomy (removal of the vitreous body) in case of vitreous hemorrhage, vitreous clouding
  • Surgical treatment of cataract (replacement of the clouded lens of the eye with an intraocular lens)
  • Strabismus correction
• Other diagnostic and treatment methods