Questions and Answers About Diabetic Retinopathy —
Friday, October 24, 2008, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. (EST)

Rishi P. Singh, MD
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute’s Vitreoretinal Department

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in American adults in the United States. Nearly all patients with type 1 diabetes and over 60% of patients with type 2 diabetes have some degree of retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the eye. The retina is a nerve layer at the back of the eye that senses light and helps send images to your brain, similar to film in a camera. When blood vessels in the retina are damaged, they may leak fluid or blood, and grow fragile, brush-like branches and scar tissue. This can blur or distort the images that the retina sends to the brain. Dr. Singh, a Cleveland Clinic ophthalmologist, will provide answers to your questions about diabetic retinopathy.

Rishi P. Singh, MD is a member of the Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute's Vitreoretinal Department. His primary specialty interests include surgical and medical treatment of the retina, macula and vitreous, with an emphasis on treating conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and retinal detachments. He is the principal investigator for numerous clinical trials of investigational treatments for retinal diseases. He is also Director of the Preclinical Compound Validation Program for the Cole Eye Institute, working on the next generation of medical and surgical therapeutics in ophthalmology.

He is a graduate of the seven-year combined B.A./MD program at Boston University and Boston University School of Medicine. He served his residency in ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard University, Boston, and completed his vitreoretinal fellowship at Cleveland Clinic.