Skip to main content

Perioperative visual loss

Most Common Causes of Perioperative Visual Loss

 Corneal abrasionRetinal ischemiaIschemic optic neuropathy
SymptomsPainful foreign body sensation, visual acuity may be intact
Painless loss of vision
Unilateral
Periorbital edema
Proptosis
Chemosis
Extraocular muscle injury
Ecchymosis
Painless loss of vision
Bilateral
EtiologyCorneal epithelial defect in anterior segment
Central retinal artery occlusion
Branch retinal artery occlusion (retinal microemboli or vasospasm)
Elevated intraocular pressure
Unknown, perhaps related to optic nerve ischemia, vascular insufficiency, although often no other clinically significant end-organ damage
Risk factors
Unprotected, exposed eyes
Intraoperative contact lens use
Prone positioning
Spine surgery
Cardiac surgery, bypass
External orbital pressure
Prone positioning
Spine surgery (PION)
Cardiac surgery (AION)
Prolonged surgery
?Deliberate hypotension
?Hypoxia
?Hemodilution
?Vasoconstrictors
?Anemia
?Elevated venous pressure (e.g., Trendelenburg)
DiagnosisSlit lamp examination withfluorescein
Afferent pupillary defect
Pale swollen optic disc
Cherry red retina
Ground glass retina
Afferent pupillary defect or nonreactive pupil (CNII)
AION: optic disc edema
PION: normal optic disc
Abnormal visual-evoked potentials
TreatmentAntibiotic drops
IV acetazolamide
5% CO2 + O2inhalation
Ocular massage
?Ophthalmic artery fibrinolysis
Attempt to optimize oxygenation and orbital perfusion pressure, although no definitive treatment
Prognosis
Good prognosis
Expect recovery
Poor prognosis
Permanent visual loss
Poor prognosis
Permanent visual loss
Prevention
Tape eyes securely
No benefit to lubricant
Remove contact lenses
Avoid external orbital pressure
Frequently examine eyes during prone cases
Stage long spine procedures
Nadir hematocrit does not differ in patients with ION and those unaffected in noncardiac surgery
Massive fluid replacement may be a risk factor for ION (no clear evidence)

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)...

Steroids In Perioperative period...The Multi-purpose Drugs

1-Steroids are not Bronchodilator ,but have well established usefulness in hyper-reactive airway. They are also said to have a permissive role for bronchodilator medication. They can be administered orally, parenterally or in aerosol form 2- Steroids have been commonly used in chemotherapy for prevention of nausea along with other anti-emetic agents . Dexamethasone was found to be highly effective when given immediately before induction rather than at the end of anesthesia . 3- Steroids do exert analgesic effects. Various routes of administration of steroids include parentral, local infiltration at operated site , as an adjuvant in nerve blocks and central-neuraxial blockade. 4 - Steroids cannot be the mainstay of therapy in anaphylaxis because of the delayed onset of action, so they are used as adjunct after initial treatment with epinephrine. 5- Steroids (Dexamethsone) are of value in reduction or prevention of cerebral edema associated with parasitic infections and neopla...

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