Postoperative transient blindness after general anesthesia and surgery: case report of conversion disorder

Abstract

Postoperative acute visual loss due to organic pathology has been described after spinal surgery in the prone position. This report describes a case of transient postoperative blindness in a patient after general anesthesia and surgery in the prone position. Postoperative workup did not reveal any organic pathology. Unbeknown to the treating physicians, the patient had a comorbid untreated psychiatric history. Upon psychiatric consultation, the patient was diagnosed with conversion disorder as a cause of postoperative blindness. There was full recovery of vision after psychiatric intervention within a week.