What Researchers Did
Researchers reported a case of a 32-year-old woman who developed significant vision loss in the left eye from a branch retinal artery occlusion following routine rhinoplasty, treated with HBOT.
What They Found
Before HBOT, best corrected visual acuity in the left eye was 0.3 (reduced). Two months after HBOT, visual acuity improved to 0.9. Fundoscopy showed regression of the ischemic pale area, and perfusion improved on fluorescein angiography.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Retinal artery occlusion after cosmetic surgery is extremely rare but can cause permanent vision loss. This case suggests HBOT may rescue vision if started promptly after this complication. Canadian ophthalmologists and anesthesiologists should be aware of this treatment option for perioperative retinal ischemia.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This is a single case report; the vision improvement may have occurred spontaneously, and the contribution of HBOT cannot be isolated without a controlled comparison.