Can sinus surgery cause blindness?

Answers (3)

• walki

  01/13/2013

  Yes, it is possible for sinus surgery to lead to blindness though visual loss and blindness have been reported but are extremely rare and it is the most disastrous complication. It can make damage to the optic nerve and then cause blindness. It has been proved that the loss of sight can also occur if extensive bleeding occurs, pushing the eyeball out and compressing the nerve responsible for vision.

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• b2jb

  01/13/2013

  In fact, the goal of sinus surgery is to block any obstructions that are causing drainage not to occur naturally. It's just a minor surgery and there is few risk, hence, though it is risk that to take sinus surgery more or less, it's hardly lead to blindness. Some doctors may recommend a hospital stay just to monitor how your body is healing after surgery. However, if this is the case, you will normally be released from the hospital the next morning. Even though it seems safe to take the surgery, there are still some tips you are supposed to pay attention. Like with other minor surgeries, you may experience pain during the sinus surgery recovery. This pain is normally mild and easily controlled with pain medications. Besides, the majority of the time, patients can return to work within a few days of surgery. However, even with returning to work, you should restrict your activities for one to two weeks because you may feel tired easily. Be careful and have enough rest.

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• griffin

  01/21/2013

  There are some reports of blindness from sinus surgery, but it is extremely rare cases. Sinus problems are annoying. It brings runny nose, congested nasal cavity, watery eyes, swollen eyelids and decreased smell capability. Sinus surgery works by breaking the blockage or remove the excessive tissue in sinuses so that it is easier to get the mucus drained away. Some common side effects from the sinus surgery including bloody discharge or bleeding, nasal or sinus infection, cerebral spinal fluid leakage, blurry vision and oral numbness. Normally speaking, it won't lead to blindness in most cases. But we all know that eyes are very near to nasal cavity. The optic nerves might be damaged by surgical tools during the surgery. In most cases, the damaged optic nerves would cause blurry or double vision, which is normally temporary. In extremely rare cases, the sinus infections might be spreaded to the adjacent tissue such as eyes or brain, leading to vision loss or even death.

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