Bethany, I think it is important to understand what's happenning. There is a significant sacrifice made, and the more you know about it, the better decision you can make. Though IMO the decision to get it is a no-brainer.
It's an interesting condition. Here's an explanation in point form.
- eye vessels are tiny and most susceptible to damage
- vessels grow from optic nerve and branch out around the eye
- damaged vessels result in the periphery not getting enough food
- starving tissue releases proteins that tell the brain "feed me!"
- body responds by growing new blood vessels to supply dying tissue (neo-vascularization)
- vessels do not grow around the eye but into it never reaching their target.
- eyes don't get fed
- vessels grow
- repeat: proliferation!
- vessels are unsupported and weak
- vessels eventually bleed
- scar tissue builds on retina
- scar tissue is inherently unstable and damages weaker retina resulting in tearing
- by now it's pretty hard to see
Because of their position in the optic nerve and macula, zapping them is too dangerous. The most useful central vision areas are immediately damaged by doing this.
The standard way to stop this cycle is to kill off the starving tissue - it will die anyway - using a technique called pan-retinal photocoagulation. This sacrifices some peripheral vision for prolonged macular health. After killing a bunch of tissue, the proteins stop, and the new vessels shrivel up, hopefully. Sometimes they don't and end up bleeding anyway. My laser started in 1994 and I hemmed in 2006 followed by a vitrectomy.
These pics show the pattern.
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photocoagulation - Google Search
