Nitrous oxide may be a hazard after retinal surgery
Patients who have had surgery for retinal detachment in which
intraocular gases have been used should not be given anaesthetics that
include nitrous oxide for some months afterwards. Yang et al (p 532)
describe a patient who was given general anaesthesia with nitrous oxide
shortly after surgery for retinal detachment and lost the sight in his
eye as a result. The intraocular gases used as tamponading agents in
vitreoretinal surgery may persist in the eye for up to three months.
Nitrous oxide causes the gas bubble to expand, dramatically increasing
the intraocular pressure and causing ischaemic retinal damage.
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- Lesson of the week: Nitrous oxide anaesthesia in the presence of intraocular gas can cause irreversible blindness
- Y F Yang, L Herbert, H Rüschen, and R J Cooling
BMJ 2002 325: 532-533.[Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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