Skip to main content

Postoperative Visual Loss: A Dreaded Complication

Risk Factors Associated With Ischemic Optic Neuropathy After Spinal Fusion Surgery




Background: Perioperative visual loss, a rare but dreaded complication of spinal fusion surgery, is most commonly caused by ischemic optic neuropathy (ION). The authors sought to determine risk factors for ION in this setting.
Methods: Using a multicenter case-control design, the authors compared 80 adult patients with ION from the American Society of Anesthesiologists Postoperative Visual Loss Registry with 315 adult control subjects without ION after spinal fusion surgery, randomly selected from 17 institutions, and matched by year of surgery. Preexisting medical conditions and perioperative factors were compared between patients and control subjects using stepwise multivariate analysis to assess factors that might predict ION.
Results: After multivariate analysis, risk factors for ION after spinal fusion surgery included male sex (odds ratio [OR] 2.53, 95% CI 1.35–4.91, P = 0.005), obesity (OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.52–5.39, P = 0.001), Wilson frame use (OR 4.30, 95% CI 2.13–8.75, P < 0.001), anesthesia duration (OR per 1 h = 1.39, 95% CI 1.22–1.58, P < 0.001), estimated blood loss (OR per 1 l = 1.34, 95% CI 1.13–1.61, P = 0.001), and colloid as percent of nonblood replacement (OR per 5% = 0.67, 95% CI 0.52–0.82, P < 0.001). After cross-validation, area under the curve = 0.85, sensitivity = 0.79, and specificity = 0.82.
Conclusions: This is the first study to assess ION risk factors in a large, multicenter case-control fashion with detailed perioperative data. Obesity, male sex, Wilson frame use, longer anesthetic duration, greater estimated blood loss, and decreased percent colloid administration were significantly and independently associated with ION after spinal fusion surgery.

Anesthesiology:
January 2012 - Volume 116 - Issue 1 - p 15–24

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Driving Pressure in ARDS: A new concept!

Driving Pressure and Survival in the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Marcelo B.P. Amato, M.D., Maureen O. Meade, M.D., Arthur S. Slutsky, M.D., Laurent Brochard, M.D., Eduardo L.V. Costa, M.D., David A. Schoenfeld, Ph.D., Thomas E. Stewart, M.D., Matthias Briel, M.D., Daniel Talmor, M.D., M.P.H., Alain Mercat, M.D., Jean-Christophe M. Richard, M.D., Carlos R.R. Carvalho, M.D., and Roy G. Brower, M.D. N Engl J Med 2015; 372:747-755 February 19, 2015 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsa1410639 BACKGROUND Mechanical-ventilation strategies that use lower end-inspiratory (plateau) airway pressures, lower tidal volumes (V T ), and higher positive end-expiratory pressures (PEEPs) can improve survival in patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but the relative importance of each of these components is uncertain. Because respiratory-system compliance (C RS ) is strongly related to the volume of aerated remaining functional lung during disease (termed functional lung size)...

Anaphylaxis updates part 2- Empty Ventricle Syndrome

Patients with anaphylaxis should not suddenly sit, stand, or be placed in the upright position. Instead, they should be placed on the back with their lower extremities elevated or, if they are experiencing respiratory distress or vomiting, they should be placed in a position of comfort with their lower extremities elevated. This accomplishes 2 therapeutic goals: 1) preservation of fluid in the circulation (the central vascular compartment), an important step in managing distributive shock; and 2) prevention of the empty vena cava/empty ventricle syndrome, which can occur within seconds when patients with anaphylaxis suddenly assume or are placed in an upright position. Patients with this syndrome are at high risk for sudden death. They are unlikely to respond to epinephrine regardless of route of administration, because it does not reach the heart and therefore cannot be circulated throughout the body

Epidural catheter tests...not only the test dose

Siphon test The catheter is held upright and a fluid level sought. If the catheter is then elevated, the fluid level should fall (see inset) as the fluid siphons in to the epidural space, which is usually under negative pressure compared with atmospheric. If the fluid column continues to rise, this may suggest subarachnoid placement. The siphon test can be reassuring, but is not mandatory. Aspiration  This should be considered mandatory. The Luer connector is attached to the catheter and a syringe is used to apply negative pressure. Free and continued aspiration of clear fluid can indicate subarachnoid placement of the catheter. However, if saline has been used for loss of resistance, it is not unusual for a small amount of this to be aspirated. If there is doubt, the aspirated fluid can be tested for glucose (cerebrospinal fluid will generally test positive) or mixed with thiopentone (cerebrospinal fluid forms a precipitate). If blood is freely and continuously aspirated, this sug...