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  • Can general anesthesia affect your vision?

    http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showthread.php?t=7376

    I know so many thing can be affected, for example your hair. It has been over a year since my last eye exam and I thought maybe I'd go get new glasses/contacts. But the it occurred to me that maybe if I do so now, after the surgery, there might be a change? And maybe I should just stick with my ugly glasses through the time of surgery.

    I was searching around the internet on this thought and I didn't find anything exactly like that, but I did find this article, which is kind of disturbing.

    http://www.thedoctors.com/KnowledgeC.../CON_ID_000164

    I've never heard of this "Controlled Hypotension" thing before, but I'm thinking it helps minimize bleeding? Seems like this is used in fusion surgeries.

    I'd appreciate any info, and I'll definitely put it on my list to ask the Dr's.

    Another goofy question--who holds onto your glasses? Your spouse/family? I'm not exactly blind as a bat, but I'm sure happier when my glasses are on so I can see.

    Thanks,
    Last edited by debbei; 05-31-2008, 05:49 AM. Reason: Checked with my eye doctor, see link to other thread
    __________________________________________
    Debbe - 50 yrs old

    Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
    Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

    Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
    Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
    Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

    Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
    Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

  • #2
    Hi Debbei,
    Just one more thing I am glad I didn't know about before my surgery, and I was in surgery for 12 hours . You definitely need to check this out with your Dr. Your glasses will be kept with your clothes and given to a family member. You probably won't even want to wear them the first couple of days after surgery. Sally
    Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
    Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
    Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
    Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
    New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
    Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/

    "In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

    Comment


    • #3
      Debbe-- I, too, am glad I didn't know about this prior to my surgery. Yes, ask your doctor and then let us know what he says...

      About the glasses-- I AM "blind as a bat" without mine-- they're the last things off when i go to bed and first things on when I get up. I made sure to take a hard/protective glasses case so that they wouldn't get broken when I didn't have them on... and they went into the bag of clothes right at the very end of my prep. My sweet hubby must have explained how I depended on them, because when I first "came to" I was wearing them! I kept them on all the time after that. I may not have cared about teeth brushing and hair, but I always like to see what's going on... (and when I say "blind as a bat"-- I mean, not only can I not see the big E on an eye chart, the whole thing gets blended into the wall...)
      71 and plugging along... but having some problems
      2007 52° w/ severe lumbar stenosis & L2L3 lateral listhesis (side shift)
      5/4/07 posterior fusion T2-L4 w/ laminectomies and osteotomies @L2L3, L3L4
      Dr. Kim Hammerberg, Rush Univ. Medical Center in Chicago

      Corrected to 15°
      CMT (type 2) DX in 2014, progressing
      10/2018 x-rays - spondylolisthesis at L4/L5 - Dr. DeWald is monitoring

      Click to view my pics: pics of scoli x-rays digital x-rays, and pics of me

      Comment


      • #4
        I had blurred, double vision for a couple of months. It eventually cleared up.
        CarolS
        68 degree right lumbar scoliosis, mild kyphosis at L1-2
        Anterior/Posterior Correction, T8 to Sacrum, Sept 20th, 2007
        Osteotomy March 20,2008
        Thrilled with results!

        Comment


        • #5
          Debbei,

          This site is a medical malpractice insurer, Debbe ... they are totally CYA stories.

          Did you notice the "example patients" are obese - one GROSSLY (5'4" and 214 lbs??) - in the two cases provided? Are complications in that scenario the doctors fault, or the fact the patient was completely unhealthy?

          I will say this ... I've been under general anesthesia MULTIPLE times:

          2 brain surgeries for hydrocephalus (VP shunt placement)
          3 knee surgeries
          1 oral surgery (impacted wisdom teeth)
          1 ankle reconstruction
          1 tubal ligation
          1 laproscopic surgery
          1 fusion surgery
          2 surgeries to remove bone spurs on heels
          1 breast augmentation

          (I feel like I need to add "... and a partridge in a pear treeeeeeee ...!)

          So what's that? 13?

          I'm sure I'm forgetting something - or a few somethings - but I've been knocked out with at LEAST 13 generals that quickly come to mind, and several others that *were* technically "twilights" where I was intubated (not REALLY "twilights").

          Anyway, I've never experienced permanent vision changes, and only even experienced TEMPORARY issues before/after my VP shunt placement. My intracranial pressure shot to 54 - about 5x normal for an extended period (about a month). I had total 6th cranial nerve palsy (yep ... my eyes were crossed for 6 months), and I had near total bilateral retinal hemorrhages.

          I survived that (a fairly large miracle)- and maintained 20/20 vision. Please don't add vision degradation to your list of worries.

          Positive thought, positive thoughts, positive thoughts!

          Focus right now on enjoying life and deciding on a surgeon, hon. Don't take the lead of those who always seek the worst.

          With Dr. Dumbell out of the way, you are down to two VERY talented surgeons on your list (and, no ... I never doubted Boachie's talents). All I can tell you is if you don't have total faith in either of them, you need to find another.

          You can't keep driving yourself nuts with the worst of the worst scenarios.

          Personally, I have never heard anyone on here complain thier vision was degraded by surgery unless it was on the downslide pre-op ANYWAY.

          Regards,
          Pam
          Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
          AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


          41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
          Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
          Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


          VIEW MY X-RAYS
          EMAIL ME

          Comment


          • #6
            Hi Everyone,

            Thanks for the responses.

            CStadler-- Thank God your vision cleared up.

            I was just searching around because I wondered if it would be a bad time to have an eye exam prior to the surgery, I wasn't going around looking for bad stuff to put me into a funk.

            Pam,

            I did notice that it was a malpractice insurer, but I would rather be informed. I will definitely ask the Dr's about this; maybe they don't even use this 'controlled hypotension', who knows?

            WOW you sure have had lots of surgeries. Maybe that's part of the reason I'm such a big chicken. I've only had my tonsils out when I was a kid, and some oral surgeries when I was a teenager, only to remove permanent teeth for braces. The only times I've been hospitalized since I've been married was when my 3 kids were born. Oh wait, I think I forgot a couple of D&C's, but that wasn't general anesthesia.

            As far as enjoying life, the soonest my surgery would be is fall, and I told my hubby I want to have pool parties every weekend. I will have the best summer ever!

            Thanks for your notes,
            __________________________________________
            Debbe - 50 yrs old

            Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
            Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

            Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
            Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
            Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

            Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
            Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

            Comment


            • #7
              Debbei, the vision issue CAN happen ... but it's rare. Complications from any general anesthesia, are relatively rare - and that applies to this surgery too.

              I only wanted to post in the sense of reassurance for you that worry over every single possible issue steals FAR too much joy from today. There's a difference between being informed and becoming petrified by "what-if's".

              My house is pretty old: Although the porch roof *looks* sound, it *could* fall on my head *someday* as I walk out the front door. (More than likely, someone will run into me on the Houston freeways I drive daily).

              I just don't choose to focus on what unlikely disasters *could* happen: Life is too short. Chances are, with any of us, the scenario you're sure is so dangerous won't be the one that gets you in the end .

              You're going to be fine through this, Debbe. If it makes you feel better, ask your surgeon (when you decide on one ... or have you yet?), but I think you'll have a MUCH easier time pre-op if you tone down the quest for dangers.

              Best regards,
              Pam
              Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
              AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


              41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
              Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
              Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


              VIEW MY X-RAYS
              EMAIL ME

              Comment


              • #8
                Debbe, I experienced a tiny bit of blurred vision due to the drugs - it's a relatively common side effect of narcotics.

                I wear glasses and contacts also, and I'm pretty blind without them. Interestingly, I NEVER put my glasses on the whole 10 days I was in the hospital. I just didn't need them. If I wasn't sleeping, I was staring at the walls mildly hallucinating from all the Dilaudid. It was kind of like having cartoons on all the time....not unpleasant.

                The minute I got to rehab, the glasses went on and stayed on.
                Chris
                A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
                Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
                Post-op curve: 12 degrees
                Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Singer
                  If I wasn't sleeping, I was staring at the walls mildly hallucinating from all the Dilaudid. It was kind of like having cartoons on all the time....not unpleasant.
                  OMG you're cracking me up!!

                  Seriously though, I figure when you're on the narcotics, all bets are off as far as vision. I remember seeing wavey things when I had Demerol having my kids I'm bringing #2 son to get contacts tomorrow, I'll see what the eye doctor recommends about me having my eye exam now or after surgery.

                  Thanks for the info--
                  __________________________________________
                  Debbe - 50 yrs old

                  Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
                  Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

                  Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
                  Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
                  Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

                  Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
                  Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Singer
                    Interestingly, I NEVER put my glasses on the whole 10 days I was in the hospital. I just didn't need them. If I wasn't sleeping, I was staring at the walls mildly hallucinating from all the Dilaudid. It was kind of like having cartoons on all the time....not unpleasant.
                    Chris, I'm trying to remember ... was it you who posted you stared at the same magazine your entire post-op stay when I was pre-op? I just remember it cracked me UP, whomever said it - LOL!

                    You know, it's funny ... I was completely prepared for that (the mind numbing state post-op): I even mounted a cable splitter under my desk in my bedroom and moved in a television (that is SO fundamentally against my nature) just incase I couldn't read. It wasn't an issue for me, and I was SO relieved!

                    I never watch television ... the only reason it's on today is because the NCAA Division I Fastpitch World Series is on!
                    Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
                    AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


                    41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
                    Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
                    Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


                    VIEW MY X-RAYS
                    EMAIL ME

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I couldn't concentrate on ANYthing with a plot for a couple of weeks, be it novel, movie, sit-com, or magazine article... Jerry Springer made me want to throw my puke pan at the TV, it made me so nervous!!! About the only thing i could tolerate was America's Funniest Home Videos... those short clips were just my speed and laughter IS the best medicine. Half the time, i couldn't tell if my glasses were on my face or perched atop my head... Just relax and enjoy the 'twilight'....lol.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I was the same as Joanne...concentration was at an all time low...
                        I ended up watching animal channel a lot...go figure...
                        Have not watched it at all since I was on pain meds....Ly

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          This is really funny: I had a hospital bed with a great view of the NY East River. After surgery, as drugged up as I was, I kept thinking all that commerce on the river was a show put on just for me!!!!
                          Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
                          Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Karen Ocker
                            This is really funny: I had a hospital bed with a great view of the NY East River. After surgery, as drugged up as I was, I kept thinking all that commerce on the river was a show put on just for me!!!!
                            BWHAAHAAHAAAA, that's just PRICELESS!!!!

                            I'm afraid of what might come out of my mouth on narcotics. I said some pretty stupid things when having my kids, like I told my hubby to "go get the guy from Star Trek", and the other gem was "I'm going home now...you take over". LOL
                            __________________________________________
                            Debbe - 50 yrs old

                            Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
                            Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

                            Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
                            Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
                            Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

                            Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
                            Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

                            Comment

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