Cadaver Study May Help Make Optic Nerve Decompression Surgery Safer

Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 25 Dec 2008 - 1:00 PST

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Knowing about variations in the location of the optic nerve and ophthalmic artery can aid surgeons in performing optic nerve decompression a delicate operation performed in patients with vision loss resulting from head injury, reports a study in the November Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.

Led by Dr. Jiping Li, a head and neck surgeon at Shanghai (China) Jiaotong University School of Medicine, the researchers performed a study in cadavers to analyze the anatomy of the optic nerve and ophthalmic artery. They present important information on useful anatomical landmarks and common variations for surgeons to be aware of when performing optic nerve decompression.

Careful Surgery Needed to Take Pressure Off Optic Nerve

Optic nerve decompression, as first discussed in a pioneering 1976 study by the current Editors-in-Chief of LWW's Journal of Craniofacial Surgery and Annals of Plastic Surgery, is sometimes needed in patients who have loss of vision after head injury, such as from car crashes. Swelling from head trauma can place pressure on the optic nerve, causing a decreased vision or blindness. Urgent surgery is sometimes needed to relieve the pressure on the optic nerve, in the hope of restoring vision.

In their study, Dr. Li and colleagues performed simulated optic nerve decompression surgery in eight cadaver heads. The procedure is done using a minimally invasive approach using an endoscope a telescope-like instrument that lets the surgeon see and operate within the skull. The surgery is done through a "transsphenoidal" approach, meaning through the sphenoid sinus one of the air spaces behind the nose.

The study provided important information on key landmarks for surgeons to follow when navigating through the sinuses to reach the location of the optic nerve. The researchers also identified the most common sites of the optic nerve within the sinus and some common variations that may be found during the procedure. For example, one key landmark that is useful in guiding surgery was absent about 40 percent of the time.

A key goal of the study was identification of the ophthalmic artery, which closely follows the optic nerve the surgeon must take meticulous care to avoid damaging the optic nerve. The researchers found that the ophthalmic artery starts below and a little to the side (inferomedial) compared to the optic nerve, but may intersect the nerve as it runs alongside.

Dr. Li and colleagues hope the new information on the anatomic relationships between the optic nerve, ophthalmic artery, and sphenoid sinus will help to guide surgeons in planning performing this precise endoscopic surgical procedure. They write, "Understanding these relationships facilitates identification of the optic nerve, avoids ophthalmic artery injury, and prevents resulting severe complications…the key [to] achieving good surgical outcomes."

About The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery

The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery (http://www.jcraniofacialsurgery.com) serves as a forum of communication for all those involved in craniofacial and maxillofacial surgery. Coverage ranges from practical aspects of craniofacial surgery to the basic science that underlies surgical practice. Affiliates include 14 major specialty societies around the world, including the American Association of Pediatric Plastic Surgeons, the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Pediatric Plastic Surgery, the American Society of Craniofacial Surgeons, the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, the Argentine Society of Plastic Surgery Section of Pediatric Plastic Surgery, the Asian Pacific Craniofacial Association, the Association of Military Plastic Surgeons of the U.S., the Brazilian Society of Craniofacial Surgeons, the European Society of Craniofacial Surgery, the International Society of Craniofacial Surgery, the Japanese Society of Craniofacial Surgery, the Korean Society of Craniofacial Surgery, the Thai Cleft and Craniofacial Association, and the World Craniofacial Foundation.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins ( http://www.lww.com) is a leading international publisher for healthcare professionals and students with nearly 300 periodicals and 1,500 books in more than 100 disciplines publishing under the LWW brand, as well as content-based sites and online corporate and customer services. LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.

Wolters Kluwer Health is a division of Wolters Kluwer, a leading global information services and publishing company with annual revenues (2007) of €3.4 billion ($4.8 billion), maintains operations in over 33 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific and employs approximately 19,500 people worldwide. Visit http://www.wolterskluwer.com for information about our market positions, customers, brands, and organization.

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