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BOOK TITLE: Retina: Medical and Surgical Management
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a proliferative vitreoretinopathy affecting preterm infants and is now a leading cause of blindness in children across the globe. The advancement and wider availability of neonatal care has led to increasing survival of preterm infants. However, the quality of neonatal care being provided is highly variable. Delayed or absent screening for ROP has led to developing countries like India witnessing the “third epidemic” of ROP blindness. Blindness from ROP is potentially preventable as highly effective therapy is available in the form of laser photocoagulation. Timely screening and laser treatment of ROP offers the best opportunity for a better visual outcome in the long-term. Laser photocoagulation is now the preferred modality (gold standard) for treatment of ROP replacing cryotherapy, ever since findings of the “Early Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity” (ETROP) study were published. Rationale for therapy, indications for treatment, plus disease, anesthesia, laser equipment, postoperative care, and complications and sequelae are also discussed in this chapter.