Cardiac arrest during ophthalmological operations

From a total number of 822 ophthalmological operations carried out under general anaesthesia two cases of cardiac arrest were observed as a result of oculocardiac reflex. The receptor for this reflex is the eye and the retrobulbal tissue, the effector is the myocardium. Children and adults with certain diseases show a predisposition to this complication. Most frequently the results of the oculocardiac reflex require no treatment, sometimes, however, resuscitation is necessary.