Eyeworld

55 EW INTERNATIONAL December 2015 of prematurity. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthal- mol. 2015 May;253(5):705–11. 2. Gadkari SS, et al. Minimally fibrotic stage 5 ROP: a clinical prognostic factor in eyes un- dergoing vitrectomy for stage 5 retinopathy of Retinopathy of Prematurity), India's first public-private partnership to tackle infant blindness prevention in rural areas. Role of surgery in advanced stage ROP In cases of stage 4A ROP (where the macula is not lifted off), enough published literature exists underlin- ing the role of LSV in ensuring good (if not excellent) visual outcomes. Stage 4B has acceptable outcomes, too, but a notch lower compared to stage 4A. "We published a study that doc- umented the gradual improvement in visual acuity over an extended follow-up period in eyes that had undergone LSV for stage 4B ROP," Dr. Gadkari said. According to Dr. Gadkari, the possible factors that contributed to the successful outcome of the surgery are gradual restoration of retinal architecture after relief of vitreoretinal traction and plasticity of the brain. "After successful surgery, visual assessment with Teller visual acuity charts and refraction are important measures to optimize the sensory stimulus," he added. After successfully working on numerous cases of stage 4B ROP, which were managed surgically, Dr. Gadkari and colleagues have moved further to a stage 5 ROP patient sub- group. Their paper on minimally fibrot- ic stage 5 ROP, e-published ahead of print in October 2015 in Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology, sought to identify a subset of patients among the stage 5 group who would have a better prognosis. "This is even more important as public health systems in some coun- tries do not offer surgical interven- tion in stage 5 disease," Dr. Gadkari said. "In our knowledge, it is the first attempt at studying the retro- lental membrane morphology and correlating it to outcomes. Imaging all eyes with a RetCam ensured a critical evaluation of the membrane often missed on indirect ophthal- mology," he concluded. EW References 1. Gadkari S, et al. Vision development over an extended follow-up period in babies after successful vitrectomy for stage 4b retinopathy prematurity. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2015 Oct 27. [Epub ahead of print] Editors' note: Dr. Gadkari has no finan- cial interest related to his comments. Contact information Gadkari: drgadkari@gmail.com Be Part of WOC2016! /attendwoc /attendwoc • Choose from over 200 scientific sessions, 1,446 free papers and posters, and 26 subspecialty day sessions with 70 contributing societies • Learn about the latest products and services from over 100 exhibitors • Network with 900+ invited speakers and 7,000+ participants from 100+ countries World Ophthalmology Congress ® of the International Council of Ophthalmology Host: Mexican Society of Ophthalmology Co-host: Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology Register to Attend this Global Event February 5-9 in Guadalajara, Mexico: woc2016.org Mark Your Calendar: WOC2018 June 16-19 Barcelona, Spain

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