Unilateral blindness following nasal septoplasty

Unilateral blindness following nasal septoplasty. Problems/objectives: Septoplasty is a frequently performed ENT surgical procedure and anatomical reference points are well established. Nevertheless, it can be associated with serious complications. Methodology: We report on a 27-year-old female patient, who was admitted to our hospital 16 days after septoplasty in another institution. She complained of vision loss in her left eye and yellowish discharge from the nose. The MSCT scan revealed fracture of the upper and lateral walls of the left sphenoid sinus with the bone fragment penetrating the left optic canal and signs of left maxillary, ethmoid, and sphenoid sinusitis. During functional endoscopic sinus surgery, a lesion of the left optic canal was clearly seen. Results: Despite many treatments, the patient was released from our hospital without any residual sight in her left eye. Conclusion: Unilateral blindness is a rare, but devastating complication following septoplasty.