Loss of Sight after Heart Surgery
Blindness due to heart surgery is a rare complication of this type of operation but it does happen and can change the patient's life permanently.
Loss of sight has been found to occur occasionally as a result of surgery that is not directly related to the eye. Where this occurs, it is usually due to a problem with the delivery of blood and oxygen to the nerves serving the eye or to the visual cortex which interprets optical signals.
Although sight loss is generally rare due to non-ocular surgery, cardiac surgery is one of the more significant contributors to this phenomenon.
Factors contributing to loss of sight
There is a lack of clarity as to the factors which might contribute to the possible loss of vision during cardiac surgery. A variety of types of injury can cause blindness after cardiac surgery and these may be the product of a range of factors relating both to actions during surgery and the pre-existing condition of the patient.
Patient Factors – who is at risk?
Research would suggest that, as yet, there are no definite links between patient factors and visual outcomes of heart surgery but a number of possible factors may be significant:
- Patients with pre-existing high blood pressure may be more at risk
- Patients with pre-existing diabetes may be more at risk
- Men are more likely than women to experience certain forms of post-operative blindness
- Patients under 18 are more at risk of some forms of visual loss
- Patients with pre-existing coronary artery disease may be more at risk
Factors arising from surgery
It has been suggested that a range of procedures or occurrences during surgery may also contribute to an outcome of loss of vision:
- Decreased blood pressure
- Excessive blood loss in surgery
- Blood transfusion
- Anaemia
- High levels of dilution of the blood during surgery
- Very high levels of fluid replacement during surgery
- The prolonged use of vasoprocessors – drugs which constrict the blood vessels during surgery
Awareness of the problem
It has been suggested that patients who are at a higher risk of developing visual loss as a result of surgery should be closely monitored for visual function immediately after recovery from surgery. Where there are any concerns regarding the patient's vision, a specialist should be consulted immediately.
Furthermore, those patients should be made aware during the consent procedure of the slight risk of blindness as a result of surgery.
Where high blood loss is anticipated during surgery, measures should be taken to respond to this and to monitor the patient closely.
Medical Negligence
Loss of vision is a very rare outcome of cardiac surgery and the causes are not clear. However, if you have been rendered blind due to your surgery, it may be that you have been the victim of substandard medical care.
Contact Glynns Solicitors to discuss your experience with a solicitor who specialises in medical negligence cases.
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