Visual loss after spine surgery: A survey

OBJECTIVE: To survey a large number of neurosurgical spine surgeons for dat a regarding the presence of risk factors in patients experiencing visual lo ss after spine surgery. METHODS: A survey was sent to current members (as of 1997) of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Sec tion on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves, with questions focusi ng on intraoperative factors that may predispose patients to perioperative visual loss. RESULTS: Two hundred ninety surveys were returned, and 24 patients with vis ual loss after spine surgery were reported by 22 surgeons. Although many of these patients had probable causative factors for visual loss after surger y (e.g., hypotension, low hematocrit level, coexisting disease), some did n ot (n = 8). CONCLUSION: These results suggest the necessity of a high index of suspicio n for evolving perioperative visual loss even in the absence of risk factor s.