Positioning of a morbidly obese patient during retinal surgery

• Main Authors: Chinmay Nakhwa, Sonali Verma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2019-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
• Subjects: Intra operative position; morbidly obese patient; retina surgery; reverse trendelenburg position with neck extension
• Online Access: http://www.ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=2019;volume=67;issue=7;spage=1153;epage=1154;aulast=Nakhwa

A body mass index (BMI) ≥35 kg/m2 is classified as obese, and a BMI ≥40 kg/m2 is classified as morbidly obese. Obese people are at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular complications like ischemic heart diseases, congestive cardiac failure, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among other health issues. Central obesity can also increase the pleural pressure and cardiac filling pressures, thus increasing the intracranial (ICP) and intraocular pressure (IOP). These clinical co-morbidities can make retina surgeries, which require patient in supine position for 45-90 minutes, a challenging task. We present our experience in the intraoperative positioning of such a patient who underwent surgery for retinal detachment.