Visual loss after spine surgery: a survey.
OBJECTIVE
To survey a large number of neurosurgical spine surgeons for data regarding the presence of risk factors in patients experiencing visual loss after spine surgery.


METHODS
A survey was sent to current members (as of 1997) of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves, with questions focusing on intraoperative factors that may predispose patients to perioperative visual loss.


RESULTS
Two hundred ninety surveys were returned, and 24 patients with visual loss after spine surgery were reported by 22 surgeons. Although many of these patients had probable causative factors for visual loss after surgery (e.g., hypotension, low hematocrit level, coexisting disease), some did not (n = 8).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest the necessity of a high index of suspicion for evolving perioperative visual loss even in the absence of risk factors.
Cheng
M A
MA
Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Sigurdson
W
W
Tempelhoff
R
R
Lauryssen
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009493:Neurosurgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013131:Spine / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology*