Perioperative Blindness in Spine Surgery: A Scoping Literature Review

Overview

Journal J Clin Med

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2024 Feb 24

PMID 38398364

Authors

Jacob Sperber

Edwin Owolo

Tanner J Zachem

Brandon Bishop

Eli Johnson

Eleonora M Lad

C Rory Goodwin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Perioperative vision loss (POVL) is a devastating surgical complication that impacts both the recovery from surgery and quality of life, most commonly occurring after spine surgery. With rates of spine surgery dramatically increasing, the prevalence of POVL will increase proportionately. This scoping review aims to aggregate the literature pertinent to POVL in spine surgery and consolidate recommendations and preventative measures to reduce the risk of POVL. There are several causes of POVL, and the main contribution following spine surgery is ischemic optic neuropathy (ION). Vision loss often manifests immediately following surgery and is irreversible and severe. Diffusion weighted imaging has recently surfaced as a diagnostic tool to identify ION. There are no effective treatments; therefore, risk stratification for counseling and prevention are vital. Patients undergoing prone surgery of long duration and/or with significant expected blood loss are at greatest risk. Future research is necessary to develop effective treatments.

Citing Articles

Postoperative Glaucoma Decompensation Following Spine Surgery: The Importance of Proper Patient Positioning.

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Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: A Review of Current and Potential Future Pharmacotherapies.

Badla O, Badla B, Almobayed A, Mendoza C, Kishor K, Bhattacharya S Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2024; 17(10).

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A Case Report on Acute Visual Loss With Ophthalmoplegia Following Spine Surgery.

Ramakrishnan A, Singh S, Puri S Cureus. 2024; 16(9):e68453.

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