Visual loss after spine surgery

Kapil Mohan1, Saurabh Rawall, Abhay Nene

  • 1Department of Orthopaedics, P. D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mahim, Mumbai, India.

Incidence of perioperative visual loss ranges from 0.06% to 0.2% with the most common cause as ischemic optic neuropathy. We report one-year follow up of a 50-years-old hypertensive housewife who underwent lumbar decompression and fusion for degenerative scoliosis, but woke up with painless unilateral visual loss. Fundus examination was normal. Her visual acuity improved from initial finger counting close to face to finger counting at 3 m at 1 year. Identification of high risk patients may help in appropriate preoperative counselling, prevention and early recognition of this devastating complication.