title: Treatment success of laser therapy for retinopathy of prematurity in referred and non-referred patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Comparison of laser therapy (LT) outcomes in patients with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) followed up in our clinic and referred from other centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of 1,856 ROP patients were retrospectively evaluated, and a total of 128 patients who underwent LT were included in the study. The study population was divided into the following two groups: patients who were followed up and treated in our clinic (group 1, N=45) and patients who were referred to our clinic from other centers (group 2, N=83). Data regarding birth weight, sex, gestational age, postnatal treatment time, disease localization, and stage were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Treatment success was defined by anatomic success 6 months after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in the referred group presented with a more advanced disease (p<0.01), a lower treatment success rate (p=0.01), and a longer time interval between diagnosis and LT (p=0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment success rate of ROP was significantly lower in referred patients because of the potential delay in LT and more advanced disease at the time of treatment initiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Etlik Zubeyde Hanim Women's Health Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Caner
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Etlik Zubeyde Hanim Women's Health Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: İkbal Seza
authors.initials: İS
authors.lastname: Petriçli
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Etlik Zubeyde Hanim Women's Health Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emre
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hekimoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nevsehir State Hospital, Nevsehir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Handan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akil
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Samsun Training and Research Hospital, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özlem
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Beyazyildiz
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000379:methods*; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D061665:Time-to-Treatment; D016896:Treatment Outcome