Dr. Jayanthi V. Subbarao & Dr.V.K. Raju Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) Centre

  Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) or Terry syndrome, previously known as retrolental fibroplasias, is a disease of the eye affecting prematurely born babies  who receive oxygen therapy due to the premature development of their lungs. It is thought to be caused by disorganized growth of premature retinal blood vessels which may result in scarring and retinal detachment. ROP can be mild and may resolve spontaneously, but it may lead to blindness in serious cases. As such, all preterm babies with very low birth weight are at risk for ROP, hence they should be screened within 1 month of their birth.  Both oxygen toxicity and relative hypoxia can contribute to the development of ROP. Causes By the fourth month of pregnancy, the foetal retina has begun to develop vascularization. Such formation of blood vessels appears to be very sensitive to the amount of oxygen supplied, either naturally or artificially. Risk Factors Various risk factors that contribute to the development of ROP are:

• Prematurity
• High exposure to oxygen
• Low birth weight
• Various types of infections
• Cardiac defects

RetCam Machine This advanced system enables the capture of brilliant, full color images that can be used for immediate assessment of the retina and anterior chamber. Stunning digital images can be sent electronically to the ophthalmologist for immediate interpretation, and tracked longitudinally over a period of time. RetCam digital imaging makes it possible to capture photographs of the pediatric retina in the NICU.    

Goutami Initiative:

We are the only Institute in Andhra Pradesh equipped with RetCam and successfully treating Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which is a potentially blinding disorder that primarily affects the premature Infants .The smaller the baby at birth, the more likely that baby is to develop ROP. This disorder which usually develops in both eyes is one of the most common causes of visual loss in childhood and can lead to life long vision impairment and blindness. We did 1512 screenings in the last one year and 117 babies have been prevented from being blind so that they can see the world like other children. As our core value is, Elimination of avoidable blindness in children, we have been screening the premature babies in  the NICUs of Government Hospitals and private NICUs of East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts to prevent ROP related blindness.