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Program of Prevention and Treatment of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) –We created 11 centers for ROP treatment. We test all prematurely born children and treat 99% children with ROP.
We’ve purchased 96 devices to diagnose ROP, and 13 laser devices for ROP treatment. Thanks to our program, in three years 27 211 children went through tests. ROP was detected in 1361. We saved vision in 1257 kids, which is 98,8% of all children with ROP detected. In 2006, we will focus on sustaining beneficial work of the centers and in the near future, we will likely create new ophthalmology centers.
At the moment of birth, prematurely born babies are not adjusted to live outside of mother's womb. Their organs are not fully developed and ready to undertake life-functions. The retina is not completely formed either and it might happen its further formation is often incorrect. When that's the case, babies develop retinopathy. The most recent treatment of the disease is based on laser technology. The objective of PREMATURE BABIES RETINOPATHY PREVENTION & TREATMENT PROJECT- is to create and equip centers where retinopathy is treated with the use of the newest techniques.
Retinopathy develops between 35th and 45th week of the pregnancy age (5th and 15th week of life) when retina blood vessels formation, (which normally form from the16th week of pregnancy until childbirth) ends after the premature birth and when abnormally shaped vessels eventually form an obtrusive tissue on the verges of normally developed vessels.
Fortunately, in most cases retinopathy runs mildly and after some time it naturally regresses without leaving any traces. But sometimes, it might cause complications such as: heterotropia (squinted eyes), myopia (nearsightedness), and causing acute pain, vision disturbances, and blindness glaucoma (abnormally high pressure of liquids in the inside of the eyeball.)
Retinopathy is diagnosed through the observation of the optic fundus. The device enabling the procedure is the Ophthalmoscope. Within the Retinopathy Project, the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation funded 60 Ophthalmoscopes for the Neonatological Intensive Care Centers all around the country.
The disease might be cured with cryotherapy, which uses the extreme cold to freeze and destroy the abnormally changed retina surface. But, thanks to the recent achievements of technology, the same effect might be now achieved through laser treatment, which also eliminates the growth of abnormal blood vessels and interrupts the formation of the obtrusive tissue.
Giving the same effect, laser procedure is far less painful as well as it highly lightens side effects such as eyes swelling, or bloody tears. It also diminishes risks of eye destroying, and reducing the need for anesthesia, the risk of heart rhythm and breathing complications, all common after the cryotherapy, also decrease. Finally, numerous tests prove also that laser therapy diminishes risk of retinal detachment.
Out of money collected during the IX Great Finale (2001), the GOCC Foundation has funded 7 lasers for laser therapy for children. Some are mounted in the biggest children's hospital in Poland, which is Warsaw's Children Memorial Health Institute and others in ophthalmological clinics in Katowice, Lodz, Bialystkok, Poznan, Szczecin, Gdansk, and Wroclaw.
The program continues and currently the GOCC Foundation is collaborating with the program council on creating new laser therapy centers. |
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