Postoperative visual loss (POVL) has multiple diagnoses and contributory causes including emboli, direct globe compression, prolonged elevation of venous pressure in the head with associated large fluid shifts, prolonged hypotension, periorbital trauma, preexisting ophthalmologic anatomic risk factors, and many other associated factors. It frequently results in permanent injury and severe disability. Though any loss of vision postoperatively should prompt an emergent or urgent ophthalmologic consultation, some of the rarer causes of POVL are considered true medical or surgical emergencies. This chapter briefly discusses these rarer causes and primarily focuses on the more common POVL diagnoses, including the mechanism of injury, appropriate assessment, and initial management.
Postoperative visual loss associated with spine surgery
