Treatment of retinal diseases
Screening, diagnosis and treatment of all retinal conditions, at the Noisy-le-Grand practice. Dr Mayer Srour, a retina specialist and Secretary General of the Fédération France Macula, and Dr Yaïr Chetrit provide the whole pathway, from tests to treatments.
The main retinal diseases
The retina is the membrane at the back of the eye that captures light. Its diseases often progress silently: regular screening is the best protection for your vision.
AMD — age-related macular degeneration
A chronic disease of the macula (the centre of the retina, which transmits 90% of visual information), starting after age 50. It affects central vision while usually sparing peripheral vision. Warning signs: reduced vision, difficulty with contrasts, straight lines that look wavy.
Two forms: dry AMD, the most common, which progresses slowly, and wet AMD, which is faster, in which abnormal vessels grow under the macula. The wet form is treated with anti-VEGF injections, which stabilise or even reduce the lesions.
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetes silently damages the small vessels of the retina, often with no symptoms for a long time. If not detected, diabetic retinopathy can lead to severe loss of vision.
An annual fundus examination is recommended for everyone with diabetes. Follow-up relies on the practice's imaging (ultra-widefield retinal photography, OCT, angiography); treatment, if needed, relies on retinal laser, carried out on site, or injections.
Chronic glaucoma
A disease of the optic nerve linked to excessively high eye pressure: the visual field gradually narrows, with no pain or symptoms, so the patient does not notice until an advanced stage.
Only an examination by an ophthalmologist can detect it: pressure measurement, optic nerve OCT (a painless 5-minute “scan”, done on site) and visual field. Detected early, glaucoma can be very well controlled: eye drops, SLT laser or surgery.
Retinal tears: an emergency
Persistent flashes of light, a shower of black dots, a dark curtain in your field of vision: these signs may herald a retinal tear, which can progress to retinal detachment.
See a doctor the same day; the practice sees eye emergencies. Treated in time, a tear is sealed with laser during a consultation, in a few minutes, avoiding surgery.
Treated at the practice, without hospital admission
The great majority of retinal treatments are carried out directly at the Noisy-le-Grand practice, in a dedicated room with strict aseptic conditions.
Anti-VEGF treats wet AMD, diabetic macular oedema and vein occlusions. The injection, under drop anaesthesia with a very fine needle, takes only a few seconds, and is carried out at the practice in the dedicated room.
The micropulse green laser treats diabetic retinopathy and vascular occlusions, and provides preventive barrier treatment of tears to avoid retinal detachment. Painless, under local anaesthesia, in a seated position. See the diagnostic equipment.
Macular and optic nerve OCT, OCT angiography without injection, ultra-widefield retinal photography covering more than 80% of the retina in a single image, dye angiography, visual field, B-scan ultrasound: everything is done at the practice, in a single visit.
Official factsheets from the Société Française d'Ophtalmologie
Written by SFO experts, they describe how each procedure is carried out, and its benefits and risks. Please read them before your consultation.
Retina specialist in Noisy-le-Grand and eastern Paris
The Grand Paris Ophtalmologie practice manages retinal diseases for patients from Noisy-le-Grand and neighbouring towns in Seine-Saint-Denis (93), Val-de-Marne (94) and Seine-et-Marne (77): Bry-sur-Marne, Villiers-sur-Marne, Champs-sur-Marne, Neuilly-sur-Marne, Gournay-sur-Marne, Noisiel, Torcy, Chelles, Gagny and the Marne-la-Vallée area, as well as Le Perreux-sur-Marne, Nogent-sur-Marne, Fontenay-sous-Bois, Vincennes, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Créteil and Montreuil.
Dr Mayer Srour, a specialist in retinal imaging, former hospital practitioner at the CHI de Créteil and Secretary General of the Fédération France Macula, and Dr Yaïr Chetrit provide screening, treatment and follow-up on site, including same-day emergencies.
Retinal diseases: your questions
Answers from Dr Mayer Srour, a retina specialist, and Dr Yaïr Chetrit, ophthalmologists in Noisy-le-Grand.
What are the first signs of AMD?
Reduced central vision, more difficulty with contrasts, and above all straight lines that look wavy. The Amsler grid test lets you check yourself: if lines look wavy or a dark spot appears, see a doctor promptly.
Dry or wet AMD: what is the difference?
The dry form, the most common, progresses slowly. The wet form progresses quickly: abnormal vessels grow under the macula. It is treated with anti-VEGF injections that stabilise or even reduce the lesions.
Are injections into the eye painful?
No: the injection lasts only a few seconds, under drop anaesthesia, with a very fine needle. It is carried out at the practice, in a dedicated room.
With diabetes: why a fundus examination every year?
Diabetic retinopathy damages the retina with no symptoms at all for years. The annual fundus examination detects it before any loss of vision, when it is most treatable, by laser or injections.
Can glaucoma be cured?
It cannot be cured, but it can be very well controlled if detected early: eye drops, laser or surgery stabilise the disease and preserve the visual field. With no symptoms for years, it can only be detected by an ophthalmologist.
Flashes of light, floaters: is it serious?
Persistent flashes, a shower of black dots or a dark curtain may signal a retinal tear; see a doctor the same day. Treated in time, it is sealed with laser during a consultation, avoiding the surgery needed for a detachment.
Which tests are carried out at the practice?
All of them: OCT, OCT angiography without injection, ultra-widefield retinal photography (80% of the retina in a single image), dye angiography, visual field, B-scan ultrasound, on the practice's diagnostic equipment.
Are these treatments reimbursed?
Yes: screening, imaging, intravitreal injections and retinal laser are medical procedures covered by the French national health insurance (Assurance Maladie).
Related reading
Worried about your vision?
Distorted vision, flashes, sudden loss of vision: do not wait. The practice sees emergencies the same day.
The Grand Paris Ophtalmologie practice in Noisy-le-Grand provides consultations, screening and surgery for patients from neighbouring towns: