normally it is a good thing: a message from a sender, transported by a carrier reaches an addressee. this way we can communicate, make life easier. but not all messages are good news. for instance in the eye: the avascular retina emits signals containing growth orders for the blood vessels. so-called growth factors are the carriers for these signals, while the blood vessels, growing from the rear end of the eye towards the front, are the addressees, the receivers.

unfortunately, due to the extremely early birth, more messages are sent out than good and necessary, which causes the blood vessels to grow excessively, uncontrollably, too fast, in the wrong directions and everything but straight. through several stages the problem can worsen into complete blindness.

luckily there is counter measures: the message system - sender, carrier, receiver - needs to be interrupted. while executing the receiver obviously makes no sense at all, we are left with two alternatives: in the past the sender was neutralized: by means of laser the avascular retina was kept from sending out more signals. but dead senders can send no more messages, not even good news, and therein lies the disadvantage. a very newly developed cure follows a different approach: better to just keep the message from arriving, raid the stage coach, in more graphic terms.

this is possible, with medication. and precisely this was done on our boys last friday (girls are not as prone to the problem.) under sterile conditions a substance was injected into the eye directly, which binds the growth factors. this way the blood vessels no longer receive excessive growth orders and retreat to normal, safe levels - checked during the follow-up inspection on saturday. monday is the second round.

so, we keep crossing our fingers. and call a relieved "thanx" over the rhine: to an extraordinary opthalmologist with a truly unique career path: do you believe in coincidence, dr. jendritza? :)

and if you find this explanation not scientific enough, look under "retinopathie of prematurity, abbreviated: ROP"...