Ohio Retinopathy of Prematurity Lawyer
At the law offices of Frank Piscitelli Co., L.P.A., located in Cleveland, Ohio, our mission is to fight for those who do not have the power or the resources to fight for themselves. It takes a lot of resources to fight big insurance companies and other powerful institutions including hospitals.
The primary focus at our Cleveland, Ohio, law firm is on representing the families of infants and children who have suffered disabling birth injuries including cerebral palsy, Erb's palsy and retinopathy of prematurity.
Our lawyer, Frank E. Piscitelli Jr., has exceptional experience in retinopathy of prematurity; he has successfully represented many families of children diagnosed with ROP.
From our law offices in Cleveland, Ohio, we offer representation to individuals and families statewide in Ohio, including Cincinnati and Columbus, and throughout the United States.
Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)
Retinopathy of prematurity is a potentially blinding eye disorder that primarily affects premature babies weighing less than 2 3/4 pounds at birth. There is treatment for retinopathy of prematurity, but treatment does not always prevent blindness.
When families turn to our Cleveland, Ohio, law firm seeking help for their ROP injured child, more often than not they are overwhelmed by questions. How could it happen? Was it a birth injury? Could it have been prevented? Is my child's ROP the result of medical malpractice? Did the doctor somehow cause my child's ROP? Will my child get better? Is this a legal case worth pursuing?
ROP Epidemic
There was an epidemic of ROP in the United States in the 1940s and early 1950s when hospitals started using what later proved to be excessively high levels of oxygen in the incubators used to save premature babies. According to the National Institutes of Health, ROP — referred to then as retrolental fibroplasia or RLF — was the leading cause of blindness in children in the U.S in the 1940s and 1950s.
Too much oxygen is no longer a cause commonly associated with ROP. But due to the relatively high rate of survival of babies born prematurely and at very low birth weights, ROP continues to occur for other reasons. With all the advances in neonatal care, smaller and smaller premature babies are being saved. These preemie babies are at greater risk for retinopathy of prematurity.
Child Blindness
There are several factors that can contribute to the development of ROP, including abnormal growth of the blood vessels in the eye leading to detachment of the retina, the tissue that lines the back of the eye. Detachment of the retina leads to visual impairment and blindness.
Cases of ROP are generally categorized in five stages. Stage 1 ROP describes abnormal blood vessel growth that is mild. According to NIH, the disease may resolve on its own and some children improve without treatment. Most infants diagnosed with ROP in the U.S. today have a milder form. However, if ROP is undiagnosed and untreated it can rapidly worsen, and children with untreated ROP risk losing their vision.
Stage 5 ROP describes the most severe form. The retina of the eye is completely detached. Babies with Stage 5 ROP can suffer severe and permanent visual impairment and blindness.
Helping ROP Children and Families in Ohio and Nationwide
Will your son or daughter require surgery? Therapy? A special teacher for the visually impaired when he or she reaches school age? Occupational therapy? Assisted living when he or she reaches adulthood?
Ohio attorney Frank Piscitelli knows how to get the answers to these difficult questions. He also knows how to help ROP families recover compensation that is both commensurate with their needs and acknowledges their pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of an ordinary life.
To learn more about our Cleveland, Ohio, law firm, or to request a free case evaluation with our experienced ROP and medical malpractice lawyer, please e-mail or call us today toll free at (800) 931-7071. Our Cleveland law firm offers legal services to people throughout Ohio and nationwide.
