Long term refractive and structural outcome following laser treatment for zone 1 aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity

AIM: To report the long term refractive, visual and structural outcome post-laser for zone 1 aggressive posterior retinopathy of prematurity (AP-ROP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of refractive status of premature infants with zone 1 AP-ROP who underwent laser photocoagulation from 2002 to 2007 and followed up till 2013. Once the disease regressed, children were followed up six monthly with detailed examination regarding fixation pattern, ocular motility, nystagmus, detailed anterior segment and posterior segment examination, and refractive status including best corrected visual acuity. RESULTS: Forty-eight eyes of 25 infants were included in the study. Average follow-up was 6.91 years (range, 3.8-9.5years) after laser treatment. Astigmatism was noted in 43 out of 48 eyes (89.6%). Two eyes had simple myopia whereas three eyes had no refractive error. CONCLUSION: After successful laser treatment for zone 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), 94% of our cases developed refractive error. Although most had a favorable anatomical and visual outcome, long-term follow-up even after a successful laser treatment in ROP was necessary.