Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Vol 14, 584-591, Copyright © 1967 by Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society

Fundoscopic, Ophthalmodynamometric, and Tonometric Observations during Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Man

¹ Department of Anesthesiology, and Clinical Research Associate, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be sent to Dr. Farmati at the Department of Anesthesia, Presbyterian University Hospital, 230 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15213

Ophthalmoscopic observations, retinal arterial pressure determinations, and intraocular tension measurements have been made during general anaethesia and cardiopulmonary bypass in fifteen patients.

Examination of the eye ground disclosed some degree of segmentation of the blood column in peripheral retinal vessels in six of fifteen cases. These findings disappeared after increase and stabilization of the flow delivered by the bypass pump.

The intraocular tensions and the retinal arterial pressures were correlated with the systemic intra-arterial blood pressure before, during, and after cardiopulmonary bypass. These relationships remained relatively constant.

Three patients received one dose of phenylephrine in the oxygenator during bypass, with an immediate rise in the systemic pressure. However there did not seem to be a corresponding rise in retinal artery pressure or intraocular tension.