Long-term form identification vision after early, closed, lensectomy-vitrectomy for stage 5 retinopathy of prematurity.

PURPOSE

Form identification vision after early, closed, lensectomy-vitrectomy for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) stage 5 open funnel retinal detachment is reported from a database that included 45 eyes of 27 infants. The focus of this report is the verbal responses at a mean age of 7.0 years for nine nonamblyopic (preferred) eyes of nine preterm infants with minimal developmental delay (good central nervous system function).

METHODS

All 45 eyes underwent initial cryotherapy for threshold ROP to the avascular retina to decrease the angiogenic stimulus (mean postconceptual age = 34.8 weeks) and subsequently underwent multiple cryotherapy sessions to the avascular retina and shunt with scleral buckling to decrease retinal traction (mean postconceptual age = 38.0 weeks). When tractional retinal detachment occurred with an open funnel, each eye underwent an early, closed, lensectomy-vitrectomy (mean postconceptual age = 45.7 weeks). The 34 eyes with a successful anatomic result were fitted with contact lenses as soon as possible after surgery.

RESULTS

The nine nonamblyopic eyes of nine preterm infants with minimal developmental delay had the following visual acuities using Allen figures or Snellen test types: one eye 20/80, one eye 20/200, two eyes 20/400, three eyes 20/800, and two eyes 20/ 1600.

CONCLUSION

These nine eyes support the thesis that form identification vision can be obtained by early vitrectomy for ROP stage 5 open funnel retinal detachments.