IRREVERSIBLE MONOCULAR BLINDNESS DUE TO O CULAR COMPRESSION DURING GENERAL-ANESTHESIA

We present a case of irreversible monocular blindness caused by obstru ction of the central retinal artery detected in a young patient withou t any previous history, when waking up from a surgical procedure perfo rmed under general anesthesia. Clinical and complementary investigatio ns were not conclusive. Nethertheless, when inquiring on the surgical procedure, it appeared that the patient was lying in a procubitus posi tion, so that his head may have slipped on the headsupport, resulting in compression on his right eyeball. The fact that the patient was sim ultaneously submitted to a controlled low blood pressure may have wors ened the effects of the compression. Reviewing the medical literature on the subject reveals that, although rare, such accidents do occur; t hey must be prevented by a constant surveillance when performing surgi cal procedures.