ECT post eye surgery: two cases and a review of the literature

Little is known about the safety of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) following any surgical procedure. We present two cases of elderly patients who required treatment with ECT shortly after eye surgery. One patient received ECT 12 days post cataract surgery. The other patient received ECT 1 week post vitrectomy on one eye, and then a few years after that she received ECT 2.5 weeks post cataract surgery on the other eye. There were no complications or adverse events for either patient. We review the existing literature on the effects of ECT on intraocular pressure and discuss the implications on patients who have recently undergone ophthalmic surgery.