How We Can Help

• Car Accidents
• Nursing Home Injury
• Medical Malpractice
• Child Injuries

Risk Factors Identified for Vision Loss After Spine Surgery

Researchers have identified six risk factors associated with blindness or partial blindness that can occur after major spine surgery, a rare complication.

Ischemic optic neuropathy (ION) involves injury to the optic nerve located directly behind the eyeball. While rare, only occurring in 1 in 1,000 spine operations, it is a devastating complication for patients and a frustrating issue for spine surgeons, ophthalmologists and anesthesiologists because it can unexpectedly occur in the healthiest patients of any age.

The six risk factors identified are male, obesity, length of surgery, use of certain fluids that replace lost blood and use of a surgical frame that places the head lower than the heart.

This study is significant because it could open doors for practical alterations by health care providers to lessen the likelihood of occurrence.

“Our identification of the six major risk factors for ION hopefully means that some of these risk factors can be modified in certain situations, with the potential to decrease the risk of blindness after major back surgery,” said Dr. Lorri A. Lee, lead study author from the University of Washington. She said this was the largest study of this complication to date with very detailed date that can be used for comparison.

Dr. Lee and colleagues used data from a large national database created by the American Society of Anesthesiologists to identify cases of blindness occurring after surgery. Researchers compared those cases to patients from 17 medical centers in North America who had similar spine surgeries but did not develop blindness.

Because an effective treatment has yet to be identified for ION, Lee said preventative strategies are imperative.

“Our study demonstrates that obese and male patients have an increased risk of developing ION after major spinal surgery in the prone position,” she said, in a news release. “Avoidance of the ‘Wilson frame’ and minimizing anesthesia duration and blood loss may also decrease the risk. And prediction tables for ION based on this study may help inform patients, surgeons and anesthesiologists of the risks and can guide decision-making.”

For more on medical safety issues, see the library of articles by Daytona Beach medical malpractice attorney.







Learn more about finding and hiring a good lawyer.
Order your FREE BOOK today.

Get more information on Medical Malpractice in our firm's library.
Medical Malpractice Limits
Proving a Medical Malpractice Case
Avoiding Life Threatening Infections In Hospitals
Pain Treatment Malpractice
Check To See If Your Doctor Is a Criminal


Contact Zimmet & Quarles for your FREE BOOK.

Your Questions Answered