Table 5.
Complications Encountered in Patients with and without Slitting of Nerve Sheath
| All Patients (n = 57) | Preoperative Vision > PL−ve (n = 44) | |
|---|---|---|
| PL−ve, no perception of light; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; ICA, internal carotid artery. | ||
| Group A (sheath incised) | n = 35 | n = 26 |
| Initial 14 patients (no mucosal graft) | ||
| • Intraoperative transient CSF leak | 1 | 1 |
| • Immediate postoperative CSF leak | 1 | 1 |
| • Delayed CSF leak (complicated by meningitis) | 1 | 1 |
| Subsequent 21 patients (Valsalva maneuver & prophylactic mucosal graft if required) | ||
| • CSF leak | — | — |
| • Transient decrease in vision | 1 | 1 |
| • Secondary hemorrhage/epistaxis | 1 | — |
| • Incomplete posterior decompression | 1 | 1 |
| Group B (sheath not incised) | n = 22 | n = 18 |
| • Transient decrease in vision | 1 | 1 |
| • Intraoperative bleeding (not related to ICA) | 1 | 1 |
| • Incomplete posterior decompression | 3 | 1 |