Amaurosis secondary to massive blood loss after lumbar spine surgery.

Abstract

Reported herein is the unusual complication of blindness resulting from massive blood loss during a lumbar spine surgery. Amaurosis resulting from distant hemorrhage is rare and, to the authors' knowledge, has not been reported in the orthopedic literature. Although there have been several case reports in the ophthalmologic journals, none were secondary to an orthopedic surgical procedure.