BINOCULARITY OUTCOMES OF LASER ABLATION VERSUS ANTI-VEGF TREATMENTS IN RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY

Abstract

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of visual impairment in prematurely born children. Two treatment options for severe ROP utilize laser and/or anti-VEGF injections. We aim to determine the influence of treatment on binocularity outcomes. This cross-sectional study prospectively measures binocularity using tests of fusion and stereopsis in children aged three to eight with a history of ROP treatment with either laser or anti-VEGF injections. 44 children were recruited: 23, anti-VEGF and 21, laser. No statistically significant difference in rates of binocularity was detected (67% laser vs 82% anti-VEGF). Laser-treated participants experienced a greater number of cumulative insults to binocularity than those in the anti-VEGF group (p=0.04). Patients with a history of ROP treated with laser or anti-VEGF require long-term follow-up to address binocularity-disrupting factors. Further investigation with a larger sample size of visually mature subjects is needed to confirm these findings.