Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) Attorney | Cleveland
Representing children and families throughout Ohio and nationwide
At the law offices of Frank Piscitelli Co., L.P.A., located in Cleveland, Ohio, we provide knowledgeable and supportive legal representation to help the families of infants diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity. This potentially blinding eye disorder affects premature babies. ROP requires careful screening, follow-up and timely treatment. If properly managed and timely treated, ROP will rarely cause your baby to be blind. We know the leading experts in this field and we keep up with the latest research. If your baby has been diagnosed with ROP and is blind, and you are wondering whether it could have been prevented, call us and we will get answers for you.
ROP is a condition that involves the vasculature of your baby's eyes. In a full term baby, the blood vessels in his/her retinas are fully developed. In a premature baby, the blood vessel in the retinas are not fully developed. Sometimes these blood vessels will develop normally for a premature baby. Other times, they will develop abnormally, causing scar tissue, which can the lead to a detached retina.
The greatest risk to your baby is at the time of discharge. If your baby's ROP has not resolved or been treated at the time of discharge, the NICU must have a plan in place to make sure your baby does not miss critical eye exams or treatment. It is the responsibility of the NICU and physician to make sure that all post-discharge eye examinations or treatment dates are clearly communicated to you.
Treatment of ROP usually involves laser treatment to the non-vascularized portion of your baby's eye. This treatment is designed to prevent development of scar tissue that can pull the retina away from your baby's eye causing severe vision loss and even blindness. See our video animation of the normal development of the retina vasculature compared to an eye that develops ROP and treatment for such an eye.
To learn more about our experience with ROP and how our law firm can help you, please contact us for a free case evaluation. We represent clients throughout Ohio, including Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron, Toledo, Youngstown and Columbus, Akron, Canton and throughout the United States.
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The birth of a child is a blessing; it should not be overshadowed by heartache and uncertainty. If your child has been diagnosed with ROP, you may be feeling shocked and overwhelmed by doubt, not knowing whether your baby was properly treated at birth. There is a small window of opportunity to treat ROP and it is important that doctors take action promptly. Your babies’ doctors have a responsibility to timely diagnose and treat your child’s ROP.
So Many Questions
More often than not, when parents of children with ROP come to our law firm for help they are overwhelmed by questions. How did this happen? Could it have been prevented? Was it the result of a birth injury or medical malpractice? Will my baby be legally blind? How will we manage? Who should be held accountable? Am I to blame?
Parents are not to blame. As with most medical negligence cases, ROP malpractice cases are vigorously defended. Many times the negligent providers, their insurance companies and their lawyers look for ways to blame the parents, who already have overwhelming feelings of guilt. In fact, we have uncovered presentations where physicians that manage ROP are taught to push responsibility to the parents as a way to avoid malpractice risk. We have the experience and resources to overcome these unseemly tactics and hold those responsible to account for the harm they have caused.
There are several stages to ROP, from Stage 1 or mild ROP to Stage 5 or severe ROP. In Stage 1 cases, the disease may resolve on its own. In Stage 5, the retina is completely detached and, if left untreated, the baby will likely become legally blind. NICU doctors and ROP doctors know this. They have a responsibility to do everything they can to prevent your baby from being blinded by ROP.
If your child was born prematurely, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) must be on the look out for ROP. Medical standards require the NICU to have protocols in place to identify babies at risk of ROP. Once your baby meets the criteria for being at risk of ROP, then the NICU must consult with a physician experienced in diagnosis and management ROP. If your baby is identified as at risk of ROP, the physician is required to closely monitor the development of the blood vessels in your baby's retina. This is done through a series of eye examinations, which usually take place in the NICU. The timing of these eye examinations is critical to your baby receiving timely treatment. There are standards that deal with the timing of the eye examinations.
What Can an ROP Lawyer Do?
The short and truthful answer is: Get you the answers you deserve and the compensation your child deserves. There are many questions people have about their child who has been blinded because of ROP malpractice. 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? What can be done to ensure your child is safe throughout his or her lifetime?
Many people believe that a blind person can easily get a job and support himself or herself. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Research shows that it is extremely unlikely that an individual blinded by ROP malpractice will obtain gainful employment.
Attorney Frank Piscitelli knows how to get the answers to these difficult questions. He also knows how to help families of children with ROP recover compensation that is commensurate with their needs and acknowledges their pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of an ordinary life.
To learn how attorney Frank Piscitelli can help you, or to request a free case evaluation, please contact our law firm today by e-mail or by calling us toll free at (800) 931-7071.
