2M.D., The Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK), Anesthesiology, İstanbul/TURKEY
3M.D., Assistant Professor, Sakarya University, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Sakarya/TURKEY
4M.D., Professor, University of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Department of Ophthalmology, Rize/TURKEY Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute effect of spinal anesthesia on intraocular pressure (IOP) in supine positioned patients underwent lower extremity surgery.
Materials and Methods: IOP was measured in all patients with Tono-Pen XL before and 20 minutes after spinal anesthesia application. Monitorization of blood pressure, peripheral oxygen saturation and electrocardiogram was initiated before spinal anesthesia and repeated at every 5 minutes during surgery and mean systemic arterial pressure measurement was recorded at the same time with IOP measurement. IOP and mean arterial pressure changes were evaluated with t test.
Results: There were ninety-eight eyes of 49 patients. The mean intraocular pressure was 18.6±2.8 mmHg before anesthesia. Twenty minutes after spinal anesthesia application, the mean IOP was reduced to 15.7±2.9 mmHg (p<0.05). The mean systemic arterial pressure was 109.5±16.8 mmHg before anesthesia. Twenty minutes after, the mean systemic arterial pressure was measured as 91.6±15.3 mmHg (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Spinal anesthesia seems to significantly decrease intraocular pressure in patients under supine positioned. Hypotension side-effect may have a role in this decrease.
Keywords : Intraocular pressure, mean arterial pressure, spinal anesthesia, supine position