Late-onset retinal detachments are much easier to repair and carry a much better prognosis than the traction detachments of stage 4 or 5 ROP, especially if they are repaired quickly. Any person with a history of ROP should have yearly retinal examinations during adolescence and early adulthood. Lower birth weight and increasing severity of ROP are strong predictors of myopia. Fortunately, even high myopia can usually be corrected satisfactorily with glasses. Amblyopia can be especially severe in infants with stage 4 or 5 ROP, and makes visual rehabilitation of these patients particularly difficult.
Eye patching for amblyopia and muscle surgery for strabismus are often helpful.
Because of the increased risk of these two potentially treatable problems, premature infants need to be seen more frequently during their first few years of life than term infants.