Retinal vascular occlusions after nonocular surgeries

Abstract

ABSTRACT Ophthalmologic complications of nonocular surgeries are rare events, but can lead to irreversible conditions of low visual acuity. They are often associated with spine, heart and neck surgery, however they can occur after procedures on other systems. The main local causes are ischemic optic neuropathies, vascular occlusions, cortical lesions, and acute angle-closure glaucoma. We report two cases of sudden low visual acuity secondary to vascular occlusions after gastrointestinal procedures. In the first case, a 57-year-old patient electively admitted for colon reconstruction after Hartmann’s colostomy, progressed with intra- and postoperative complications and required subsequent complementary surgeries. Once month later he presented with sudden bilateral low visual acuity, painless and non-altitudinal, and was diagnosed as papillophlebitis, which resolved spontaneously with the progression of the condition. The second case, a 69-year-old patient with no comorbidities underwent rectal resection due to suspected malignant tumor, and progressed on the third postoperative day, with pain and bilateral low visual acuity secondary to acute angle-closure glaucoma, and branch retinal artery occlusion in right eye; treated with iridotomy and ocular hypotensive eye drops, with only slight recovery of vision. The article aims to discuss the etiological mechanisms of the reported conditions and present a literature review.

Keywords

• Blindness
• Retinal vein occlusion
• Retinal artery occlusion
• Digestive system surgical procedures