Efficacy of Focal Photocoagulation to Maintain or Achieve Best Corrected Visual Acuity ≥20/40, in Eyes with Diabetic Macular Edema

Objective: To identify the efficacy of focal photocoagulation to maintain or achieve best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) ?20/40 in eyes with clinically significant macular edema (CSME) that had a focal angiographic pattern. Material and methods: Non-experimental, retrospective, longitudinal, descriptive study in type 2 diabetic patients of any gender, who had CSME with focal angiographic pattern, who received focal photocoagulation from January to October 2012, with a register of BCVA before and 3 weeks after photocoagulation. 101 eyes from patients aged 35-74 years (mean 60.1±8.15) were assigned to one of two groups: 1, with BCVA before treatment <20/40 (n=60), and 2, with BCVA ?20/40 (n=41). The proportion of eyes with BCVA?20/40 after treatment was identified, in the sample and within each group. Results: In group 1 BCVA improved in 34 eyes (56.7%), did not change in 15 (25%), and worsened in 11 (18.3%); in group 2 BCVA improved in 10 eyes (24.4%), did not change in 18 (43.9%) and worsened in 13 (31.7%). Post treatment BCVA was ?20/40 in 57 eyes (56.4%, 95% confidence intervals 46.8-66.1%), 21 of them from group 1 (36.8%) and 36 from group 2 (63.2%). Conclusion: Treating CSME with focal photocoagulation was efficacious to maintain BCVA ?20/40 in 87.8% of eyes with that rank of vision preoperatively, and to achieve BCVA ?20/40 in 35% of eyes without it. Early detection and treatment of CSME is required to increase the proportion of eyes with BVCA that provides visual independence, preferably when visual function is still good.