No Retinopathy (R0)

This means you are at very little risk of damage to your eyesight from your diabetes. You should continue to attend your regular eye screening appointments.

Stage 1 - Background Retinopathy (R1)

This stage is very common in people with diabetes. It means that tiny bulges, called microaneurysms, have developed in the small blood vessels of the retina. These can sometimes leak small amounts of blood. At this stage, it is important to manage your diabetes as effectively as possible, attend regular blood pressure checks, and reduce any other risk factors where possible. Taking these steps can help lower the risk of developing more serious changes to your eyes in the future.

Stage 2 - Pre-Proliferative Retinopathy (R2L/H)

This stage is more severe and means there are more abnormal changes in the retina. Depending on the findings, we may invite you for screening every 3 or 6 months, or refer you to the eye hospital for further assessment and investigation. We may also take additional retinal images to check for any changes in the peripheral areas of the retina that are not routinely photographed. Although there is a higher risk that your vision could be affected in the future, managing your diabetes well, attending regular appointments, and controlling other risk factors can help reduce the likelihood of further progression.

Stage 3 - Proliferative Retinopathy (R3)

This stage is known as proliferative diabetic retinopathy and occurs when new, fragile blood vessels grow on the retina because parts of it are not receiving enough blood flow and oxygen. These vessels can bleed easily, and scar tissue may develop, increasing the risk of retinal detachment and sight loss.

These changes are sight-threatening, but you may have no noticeable changes in your vision even when the condition is advanced. However, vision loss can occur suddenly if complications such as bleeding develop. We will refer you to the eye hospital for further assessment, additional tests, and discussion of any treatment that may be needed to help protect your sight.

Maculopathy (M1)

This is when the blood vessels in the Macula, the centre of the retina which is responsible for fine, central vision, become leaky or blocked. This can leave indicators of maculopathy such as bleeds or exudate. This may start to cause problems with vision so it is very important to attend any appointments for your eyes and to manage your diabetes well. We will screen you more often, usually every 3 or 6 months, or refer to the hospital depending on severity.

This would be equivalent to stage 2 / 3 depending on if there are any other diabetic retinopathy findings.

U - Unassessable

This is if your images were unable to be assessed. This could be due to a technical issue, or if it is too difficult to capture images using the regular equipment. You will be re-invited to another appointment to attempt to recapture images, or invited to a ‘Slit Lamp’ appointment.