Treating ROP in tiny preemies; better glaucoma follow-up in urban clinic

Highlights of AAO-PAAO Joint Meeting 2009 Scientific Program, Oct. 25

SAN FRANCISCO— Highlights of today's Scientific Program of the 2009 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) - Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) Joint Meeting include: John T. Flynn, MD, Columbia University School of Medicine, discussing the ever-tougher challenges Eye M.D.s face in caring for the vision of the tiniest premature babies; and a report by Bradford W. Lee, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine, on barriers to glaucoma follow-up as perceived by patients in an urban, culturally diverse clinic.

The AAO-PAAO meeting is in session October 24 through 27 at the Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA. As the largest, most comprehensive ophthalmic education conference in the world, it offers United States and international Eye M.D.s more than 2,000 scientifically-based, peer-reviewed presentations, including instruction courses, skills transfer labs, "Breakfast with the Experts" roundtables and 900 research papers and posters.

Saving Sight in Tiny Babies: the Past, Present and Future of ROP Treatment

Due to astonishing progress in neonatal medicine, younger and smaller babies than ever before are being saved: they often weight less than one pound and may be born 10 to 14 weeks early. Paradoxically, this medical progress has generated new healthcare challenges, including retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) a potentially blinding disease. ROP is more likely to occur in such tiny infants and to be severe and hard to treat successfully even with laser therapy, today's method of choice. In a key lecture at today's Pediatric Ophthalmology symposium John T. Flynn, MD, Columbia University School of Medicine, relates the history of ROP to today's escalating treatment challenges and the search for new solutions.

From the 1970s onward, pediatric ophthalmologists have been increasingly able to reduce or cure ROP by adapting treatments developed for adult diabetic retinopathy. In the extremely premature infants saved today, though, all treatment parameters are more difficult and vulnerable to failure.

"It is time for pediatric ophthalmologists to reassess how best to screen and treat their smallest, frailest patients," said Dr. Flynn.