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Scleral buckling for retinopathy of prematurity
1Associated Retinal Consultants, Royal Oak, MI 48073.
Insights
Scleral buckling effectively reattached retinas in infants with advanced retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This surgical procedure shows promise in preventing further disease progression in premature infants.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neonatal care
- Surgical innovation
Background:
- Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of visual impairment in premature infants.
- Advanced stages of ROP (4A, 4B, 5) present considerable challenges for treatment and visual outcomes.
- Previous treatments like cryo/laser ablation were often employed before scleral buckling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the anatomical success of scleral buckling surgery.
- To assess its effectiveness in eyes with stages 4A, 4B, and 5 retinopathy of prematurity.
- To determine the role of scleral buckling in managing severe ROP.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of 70 eyes from 44 infants undergoing scleral buckling.
- Follow-up duration of at least 6 months post-surgery.
- Surgical intervention performed by a single, experienced surgeon.
Main Results:
- Complete retinal reattachment or attached folds were achieved in 70% of stage 4A eyes (12/17).
- Successful outcomes were observed in 67% of stage 4B eyes (29/43).
- Forty percent (4/10) of stage 5 eyes achieved reattachment, primarily those with a rhegmatogenous component.
Conclusions:
- Scleral buckling demonstrates significant anatomical effectiveness in advanced ROP.
- The procedure appears to be a valuable option for managing stages 4A and 4B ROP.
- Scleral buckling may help reduce the progression from stage 4 to stage 5 retinopathy of prematurity.
Purpose:
This study was undertaken to determine the anatomic effectiveness of scleral buckling on eyes with stages 4A, 4B, and 5 retinopathy of prematurity.
Methods:
Seventy eyes of 44 infants had scleral buckling performed by one surgeon and were followed for at least 6 months. All except one child had previous bilateral peripheral ablation (cryo/laser).
Results:
Twelve (70%) of 17 stage 4A eyes, 29 (67%) of 43 stage 4B eyes, and 4 (40%) of 10 stage 5 eyes had complete retinal reattachment or dry folds attached at their last follow-up visit. All eyes referred as stage 5 retinopathy of prematurity that reattached had a rhegmatogenous component.
Conclusion:
Scleral buckling appears to play a role in reducing progression from stage 4 to stage 5 retinopathy of prematurity.
