Oculocardiac reflex during manipulation of adjustable sutures after strabismus surgery.

We studied 44 patients who underwent strabismus surgery with the use of adjustable sutures to determine the occurrence of the oculocardiac reflex during the postoperative adjustment process. We defined the reflex as at least a 10% decrease in the baseline heart rate. Only two patients (4.5%) displayed an oculocardiac reflex during the adjustment. We did not identify any preadjustment factors that would increase the susceptibility to develop the reflex.