Current practices and profiles of ophthalmologists involved in retinopathy of prematurity care in Brazil

Julia D Rossetto; Luisa M Hopker; Saint Clair Gomes Jr; Luiz Roisman; Andrea A Zin

doi:10.1016/j.jaapos.2023.01.015

Current practices and profiles of ophthalmologists involved in retinopathy of prematurity care in Brazil

J AAPOS. 2023 Apr;27(2):116-119. doi: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2023.01.015. Epub 2023 Mar 8.

Authors

Julia D Rossetto¹, Luisa M Hopker², Saint Clair Gomes Jr³, Luiz Roisman⁴, Andrea A Zin⁵

Affiliations

¹ Ophthalmology Department, Instituto de Puericultura Martagão Gesteira-Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Clinical Research Department, National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescents Health Fernandes Figueira, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
² Ophthalmology Department, Hospital de Olhos do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.
³ Clinical Research Department, National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescents Health Fernandes Figueira, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
⁴ Orbit Study Group, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Ophthalmology and Visual Science Department, Federal University of Sao Paulo, UNIFESP, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
⁵ Clinical Research Department, National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescents Health Fernandes Figueira, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 36898657
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2023.01.015

Abstract

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) care in Brazil varies in availability of resources and infrastructure. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among ophthalmologists of the Brazilian ROP Group (BRA-ROP) to assess the profiles and practices of ophthalmologists involved in ROP care. A total of 78 responses of BRA-ROP participants (79%) were included. Participants were mostly retina experts (64.1%), female (65.4%), and over 40 years of age (60.2%). Eighty-six percent reported following Brazil's ROP screening criteria. Retinal imaging is available to 16.9% of respondents; fluorescein angiography, to 1.4%. For ROP stage 3 zone II (with plus disease), laser treatment was the preferred treatment (78.9%); for aggressive ROP, anti-VEGF was favored (66.2%). There were significant regional differences in treatment choice. Not all respondents continued to follow treated patients after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit, highlighting an aspect of ROP care in need of improvement.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adult
Brazil
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Gestational Age
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Intensive Care Units, Neonatal
Middle Aged
Ophthalmologists*
Retinopathy of Prematurity* / prevention & control
Retinopathy of Prematurity* / therapy