title: Clinical outcome of confluent laser photoablation for retinopathy of prematurity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  During the past decade, laser photoablation has supplanted cryotherapy as the standard treatment for threshold retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). We evaluated the progression and the complication rate in a cohort of infants with threshold ROP treated with a confluent technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied 47 patients with ROP (91 eyes), treated with confluent diode laser photoablation. Four main outcomes were evaluated: (1) the rate of progression, (2) the frequency of laser retreatment, (3) postoperative complications, and (4) postoperative refractive error.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A mean of 1943 +/- 912 laser burns were administered in a confluent pattern to 91 eyes with threshold ROP. Progression to stage 4 or 5 disease occurred in 13 of 29 eyes (44.8%) with zone I and posterior zone II and in 2 of 51 eyes (3.9%) with anterior zone II ROP (P =.01). Eyes with anterior zone II ROP that received more than or equal to 2000 burns progressed more than those that received fewer than 2000 burns. Only 1 eye (1%) needed a supplemental laser treatment. Postoperative complications included corneal edema (2.3%), anterior segment ischemia (2.3%), vitreous hemorrhage (7.9%), posterior synechiae (2.3%), cataract (4.9%), and macular ectopia (12%). The mean spherical equivalent at the last follow-up was -4.52 +/- 5.63 D.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our series, infants received more laser burns than infants reported in the literature receiving scatter or near-confluent treatment. While confluent treatment almost eliminated supplemental treatment, it was associated with a similar rate of progression and complications as has been reported with other patterns of laser treatment.
authors: Emory Eye Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Fallaha
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Lynn
authors: Thomas M
authors: TM
authors: Aaberg
authors: Scott R
authors: SR
authors: Lambert
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome