BLINDNESS DUE TO ELECTROCOAGULATION FOLLOWING FUNCTIONAL ENDOSCOPIC SINUS SURGERY

A case is presented with irreversible blindness in one eye and restric tion of the infratemporal visual field in the other eye, due to electr ocoagulation performed for delayed bleeding after functional endoscopi c sinus surgery (FESS). Although blindness due to rhinosurgery is a we ll-known, but rare complication, a review of the recent literature did not reveal a similar incident. The use of electrocoagulation especial ly under conditions of poor visualization, that may be the case in pos t-operative bleeding following (endoscopic) sinus surgery, is strongly discouraged.