The World ROP Congress 2025, held in Florence in partnership with the FLORetina-ICOOR Meeting 2025, brought together leading ophthalmologists, neonatologists, researchers, and healthcare professionals from around the world to focus on the latest advances in Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), a disease that affects premature babies in which abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina can lead to scarring, retinal detachment, and potentially permanent vision loss1.
Key Scientific Themes
1. Treatment Debates: Anti-VEGF vs Laser
One of the conference’s most anticipated sessions was a deep dive into the ongoing debate between anti-VEGF therapies and laser photocoagulation for treating ROP. Experts discussed the benefits and drawbacks of each modality, including real-world outcomes with agents like bevacizumab and other drugs, highlighting how individual patient factors and disease characteristics can influence treatment choice.
2. The PAR (Post-Anti-VEGF Retinopathy) Dilemma
A major topic was the emerging challenge of PAR, late-onset changes observed after anti-VEGF treatment. Speakers examined how these patterns present clinically, strategies for managing PAR, and long-term implications for visual outcomes, stressing the need for careful monitoring and individualized care plans.
3. Long-Term Complications and Follow-Up
Multiple presentations focused on understanding the long-term sequelae of ROP, including structural changes in the retina and functional visual problems that may persist even after successful acute treatment. These discussions underscored the importance of extending follow-up care into later childhood.
4. Global Perspectives and Access Challenges
Throughout the meeting, speakers emphasized the stark global disparities in ROP incidence and care. With preterm birth rates rising in many regions, especially East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific, sessions highlighted the urgent need for scalable screening programs, telemedicine solutions, and training to improve early detection and access to treatment.
5. Shifting the Paradigm: The Growing Focus on ROP Prevention
Several compelling presentations focused on the prevention of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), highlighting a growing shift toward proactive strategies rather than reactive treatment alone. Experts explored emerging nutritional approaches, optimized neonatal care protocols, oxygen management strategies, and early risk identification models aimed at reducing disease incidence before advanced stages develop. These sessions underscored a shared global commitment to minimizing the burden of ROP through prevention-driven innovation and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Broader Scientific Exchange
Although the core ROP sessions were highly specialized, the Congress’s integration with the broader FLORetina-ICOOR program enriched the scientific dialogue by connecting ROP care with cutting-edge retinal science including advances in imaging, surgery, and posterior segment therapeutics that have relevance for complex ROP cases.
Final Thoughts
The World ROP Congress 2025 was more than a scientific meeting; it was a platform for collaborative solutions to a growing global health issue. From heated debates on optimal therapies to conversations about equitable access and long-term vision outcomes, the Congress spotlighted both the progress made and the challenges ahead in reducing ROP-related blindness worldwide.
- Kaur, K., & Mikes, B. A. (2025). Retinopathy of prematurity. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. Introduction. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Bookshelf (NBK562319). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562319/
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