Sudden death in strabismus surgery under local anaesthesia: a case report

Abstract

Oculocardiac reflex (OCR) sometimes occurs as a result of pressure on the eye or traction of the intraorbital surrounding structures during ophthalmic surgery. This can result in bradycardiac arrhythmia and cardiac arrest. A 45-year-old female was undergoing an elective squint correction surgery of one eye under local anaesthesia in a private hospital in December 2013. The patient was preoperatively examined, investigated and admitted to the hospital one day prior to operation. There was no previous history of any chronic illnesses. The patient collapsed during surgery and declared dead. Doctors attempting strabismus surgery under local anaesthesia should be familiar with this phenomenon.