What visual loss is examined?

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Who can have visual loss after surgery?

Any major surgery puts stresses on the body, and changes the way the body functions normally. If these changes affect the blood supply to the eyes, vision loss can result.

For the Physician: Visual loss can occur following uneventful cardiac, spine, vascular, reconstructive and other surgical procedures. Pressure on the globe does not seem to be the usual cause of postoperative visual loss.

What happens?

Blurred vision. Patients experiencing blurred vision in the first few days after surgery should immediately call their doctor or a nurse involved in their care.

There can be several reasons for blurred vision, but one serious reason is decreased blood supply to the eye's retina. Such a decrease can lead to edema of the optic disc. Unfortunately, some edema does not respond to treatment. If the edema persists, the nerves of the eye may be permanently damaged and visual loss may be permanent.

For the Physician: The risk factors underlying postoperative visual loss are still theoretical. Some have been suggested in the medical literature:
     · Intraoperative hypotension
     · Anemia
     · Prone position.

Download:
· an educational handout for patients PDF
· an educational booklet for physicians PDF

Next… What does this blindness look like? ››

Normal Optic Disc
(click to enlarge)

Atrophied Disc
(click to enlarge)