Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (RD/CN)
 
Mangalore, Aug 12: A full-fledged Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) care unit equipped for laser surgery has been established at the Fr Muller Hospital here. The care unit is headed by Dr Sunayana Bhat, paediatric ophthalmologist and squint specialist of the hospital.
 
Dr Bhat recently performed the first laser surgery on both eyes of a three week old infant who was born at 28 weeks and suffered from ROP.  A screening protocol has been established which helps prevent many precious babies from going blind.
 

ROP is a blinding disease which occurs due to excessive nerve tissue growth.  It affects almost 20 to 30 percent of premature babies, especially those receiving long time NICU care and those that are underweight. 

However, the good news is that blindness can be prevented easily by regular eye examinations within three weeks of birth and treatment by laser surgery whenever required.
 
For more details contact:
 
Telephone number: 0824-2238186
E-mail: rop.sc.in@gmail.com