Articles: postoperative-complications.
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Oculocardiac reflex is one of the trigemino-vagal reflexes, and is frequently observed during anesthesia for pediatric strabismus surgery. The reflex is greatly exaggerated in the presence of hypoventilation, hypoxemia and acidosis. ⋯ Several related reflexes are known, such as blepharocardiac reflex, oculorespiratory reflex, and the sudden infant death syndrome. Although the reflex can be prevented by a retrobulbar block or the administration of parasympatholytic drugs, well conducted anesthesia and cooperation with the surgeon is much more important.
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Obesity is commonly considered a surgical risk factor, but the degree of risk has been imprecisely quantified. There is little evidence that excessive body weight in itself should contraindicate general surgery. However, obesity is often associated with abnormal cardiorespiratory function, metabolic function, and hemostasis, which may predispose to morbidity and mortality after surgery. We review pertinent data and offer guidelines to minimize the risks of surgery in obese patients.