Optic Nerve damage following brain surgery

[ljb57]

Is it unusual to have optic nerve damage following a craniotomy to remove a brain tumor?  Don't neuro-surgeons monitor for this possibility?

[Janeaj2000]

My dear friend had surgery on a benign meningioma 13 years ago.First doctor seen said radiation was all that was needed. He got a 2nd opinion from Mayo neuro surgeon who said he was one of a few doctors in this part of the United States(Florida) that could do this surgery. He diagnosed it as pituitary tumor. After realizing that it was not pituitary a second surgery(craniotomy) was performed 5 days later. The surgeon damaged the optic nerve and my friend woke up blind. This has been 13 years now Is a research being done on this type of injury. If so, where would that be. He has no hope of getting his sight back, but would like to be able to have some vision back, if at all possible.

[pattyDep]

I had a craniotomy for an extra large bleeding A.V.M. back in 1981, and after a car accident in 2007 I have had problems with my eye sight, and head aches the eye doctors say that I have a Hemianopsia  but can't find anything that could have caused that.Could it have been from that surgery because they had to clean around the optic nerve as well as leaving me an epileptic? I Am Also loosing my peripheral vision except for shadows.The right side of both eyes is affected. The surgery done on the left side.                     me

[oops11]

Hi doc, I had a crainiotomy 6 months ago I fell down a large flight of stairs and had a subdural hematoma. my question is after all the things  I had to learn how to do all over again I have very bad joint and muscle pain and insomnia is this normal? c.ouch

[marybeth617]

I too had surgery on a right carotid artery..stenting and coiling..non invasive, non craniotomy..however that was 5 years ago and took three surgeries...I am now experiencing the same problems with my right eye, nerve damage of several optic nerves, they actually stitched my other eye muscle down a bit to get a sweet spot to see better. Unfortunately, the right eye has continued to get worse and more fixated and palsied..i now have numbness over my forehead and into the hairline..I spent a week in MGH about a month ago for pain slicing through the eye.  Now I am on a second series of Steroid treatments. I had a meeting with the "team" and i got lost somewhere in the direction we are going..what i think i got was that eventually i would need to have a craniotomy to rewire the nerves? (bringing me down on a heart lung machine,,lowering body temp..etc.,) I was not a candidate for clipping or occlusion and the aneurysm itself seems to be in good shape..a little squishing but not much to worry about.  The concern is the pain.  can you explain what the surgery would actually be doing?  Is this a grafting procedure?

[DrRakeshMD]

Hi Dear

Craniotomy means craeting an opening in the skull be removing the bone flap to have access to the brain lying underneath. Craniotomy may have to be performed for tumors, infection, fractures, blood clots, or swelling. A craniotomy may be simple and dime-sized or hey hole sized, or it may be large and complex generally involving the base of skull where arteries, veins, and nerves exit the skull.

As is said, no surgery if free of risks. The more complex the surgery, the higher are the risks. The risks associated with craniotoly include stroke, seizure, swelling, loss of mental functions, cranial nerve (including optic nerve) damage, etc. The risks may be diminished in highly experienced hands; however, there always remains a risk which also depends on the complexity of the surgery performed.

Best..

[Dcropper]

My name is doreen and had tumor growing behind my left eye all the way to back of my brain... highy extensive surgery... had mini stroke lost peripheral vision in good eye right one and left double vision for 6month.. im numb from eye lid and up and have server dry eye and blurrness due to it... was in intensive care for week and then inpatient rehabilitation for another