Refractive, sensory, and biometric outcome among retinopathy of prematurity children with a history of laser therapy: A retrospective review from a tertiary care center in South India

PURPOSE: Ocular morbidities like high refractive error, strabismus, and amblyopia are common among laser-treated retinopathy of prematurity children (ROP). Long-term optical status and refractive outcomes including the sensory outcomes were less investigated in these children from this region. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the long-term outcome (refractive, biometric profile, sensory) of treatment for ROP using laser. METHODS: This study is a retrospective, cross-sectional, observational, and intervention research among 6–15-year-old children who underwent laser for ROP with a minimum of 6-year follow-up. RESULTS: Eighty lasered eyes of 41 children were assessed. Mean age was 9.71 years (±3.39). Seventy-three eyes (91.2%) achieved visual acuity better than 20/40. The mean visual acuity in LogMAR was 0.18 (20/30). The mean spherical equivalence was −5.29 D ± 4.9. Mean astigmatism measured was −1.53 DC (range: +0.50 DC to −4.5DC). Fifty-three eyes (66.25%) had significant astigmatism. The mean axial length was 23.5 ± 1.35 (21–26) mm. Mean lens thickness was 3.76 ± 0.30 (3.03–4.34) mm. Correlation analysis among the low and high spherical equivalent group signified that axial length (P value = 0.001), visual acuity (P value = 0.0002), and myopic shift (P value = 0.0006) were found to be statistically significant. Stereopsis better than 480 s of arc for near was observed in 41% children. Structural posterior pole sequelae developed in 3 eyes (3.75%). CONCLUSION: A significant number of children with high myopia, astigmatism, and strabismus had satisfactory visual outcome observed at long-term follow-up after treatment for ROP using laser. Our study revealed that myopia was influenced by an increase in axial length than the lens thickness.