Abstract
Purpose:
To determine the outcomes of retinal ablative treatment in infants with high risk pre-threshold ROP treated at two level 3 neonatal units in East London.
Methods:
Data from infants treated with diode laser between April 2006 and April 2012 were retrospectively collected and analysed against ETROP study standards. The primary outcome measure was structural findings at 6 months, 9 months and 2 years after laser treatment. The infants’ visual acuity and refractive state after laser treatment were also evaluated.
Results:
130 patients were treated with laser during this time. Long-term follow-up data was available in 40 patients (34 patients: Royal London Hospital, 6 patients: Homerton University Hospital) as many infants had been referred for treatment but were followed up in different units. Structural findings showed that 2 of 40 infants (5%) developed unilateral unfavourable structural outcomes within 2 years after laser treatment, which was within the ETROP standard (9%). Grating visual acuity results for 40 patients showed that 84% of infants achieved a BCVA of 6/15 or above, 2 years after laser treatment. Moreover, 54 % of infants had myopia and 73% of these were older than 2 years of age at last review. Their mean spherical equivalent was found to be approximately -1.75 D bilaterally.
Conclusions:
Structural and functional outcomes of retinal ablative treatment in infants with high risk pre-threshold ROP are similar to ETROP outcomes. These results are helpful in informing parents of the likely outcome of laser treatment in babies requiring treatment for ROP.
Keywords: 706 retinopathy of prematurity •
578 laser •
697 retinal detachment