Vestal Doctor To Perform Eye Surgery On Premature Babies

7/27/2012 (Updated 7/29/2012 4:15:51 PM)

Retinopathy of Prematurity or "ROP" is a vision-threatening condition that affects premature babies.
   
Now an Opthamologist in Vestal says he' s the first eye doctor in the Southern Tier to offer laser surgery to correct the problem. 
Dr. Theodore Curtis says the condition happens to babies who are born more than 2 months premature.

"These children can develop a problem in their eyes which can cause vision loss or blindness.  We've been checking them at Wilson Hospital for many years, but anyone who needed laser treatment had to be shipped to Syracuse for treatment" says Dr. Curtis.

Dr. Curtis says usually these children are very sick and delicate and the trip to Syracuse could be difficult. He says on average about 3 babies from the Southern Tier need the laser surgery each year.