Abstract
Purpose:
To clinically correlate and evaluate the screening and treatment patterns of retinopathy of prematurity by a single physician at a tertiary-care center between 2002-2012.
Methods:
A group of 10,924 newborns screened for ROP between 2002-2012 were retrospectively analyzed in an IRB-approved consecutive case series. Records of the neonate intensive care unit (NICU) at Jackson Memorial Hospital/Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami) were reviewed to identify patients clinically diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity who underwent treatment.
Results:
231/10,924 (2.1%) were treated with laser photocoagulation. Of the 231 patients only 176 (76.2%) were included (55 treated infants were excluded because they were referrals from outside institutions for advanced ROP). Of the 176 treated patients 89 (50.6%) were males and 87 (49.4%) were females. The average birth weight was 687.3 grams while the mean gestational age was 24.8 weeks. The mean time between screening and treatment was 3 months. Out of the 176 patients 31 required retreatment with laser photocoagulation. Of interest, the rate of retreatment significantly declined with the experience of the treating physician. Retinal detachment occurred in 2/10,924 (0.02%).
Conclusions:
Experience is essential in delivering optimal care in a complex disease like ROP. It is evident that the rate of treatment and retreatment is inversely proportional to the ophthalmologist experience and comfort in the management of ROP. With the advent of new innovations in management of ROP such as anti-VGEF injections and telemedicine, the hurdle of experience in treating ROP could be minimized in the near future.