Nayak Vittal I1, Anantha Kishan2, Balasubrahmanyam A3, Patil S. R4, Savitha H. N5
Perioperative visual loss is an uncommon complication of surgery in the prone position, spinal surgery, and is also reported after cardiac surgery. It is important that the nursing faculty, attending on patients recovering from general anaesthesia for these procedures, check the vision immediately upon recovery. Prompt referral is essential if the patient has a deficit that was not noticed earlier. Visual deficit can be due to ischaemic optic neuropathy (Anterior or posterior), retinal artery occlusion (Branch or central), retinal vein occlusion (Branch or central), commotio retinae, pituitary apoplexy and occipital lobe infarction. Each condition has its clinical picture with fundus findings but in posterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (PION), pituitary apoplexy and occipital lobe infarction, the fundus is normal. Fundus finding will be disc pallor (Primary Optic Atrophy), in PION, pituitary apoplexy and occipital lobe infarction and take few weeks or months to appear. The case described outlines how early detection and referral can reduce visual morbidity, salvage vision, improving the quality of life of the patient.
