Background: Numerous unfavorable complications may occur with strabismus surgery as emergency agitation (EA), oculocardiac reflex (OCR), postoperative pain, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).
Aims: This study was designed to evaluate the dexmedetomidine effect in sub-Tenon's block on EA in strabismus surgery in the pediatric population under sevoflurane anesthesia.
Design: This was a prospective randomized double-blind clinical trial.
Patients and methods: Eighty American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Class I and II pediatric patients, in an age group ranging from 2 to 8 years of either sex, had strabismus surgery under sevoflurane anesthesia using laryngeal mask airway. Patients were divided randomly into two groups (each = 40). Sub-Tenon's block is performed in the operated eye with 0.5% bupivacaine (0.08 mL.kg-1) alone in Group B (bupivacaine group), and with 0.5% bupivacaine (0.08 mL.kg-1) and dexmedetomidine (0.5 μg.kg-1) in Group D (dexmedetomidine group). Hemodynamics were monitored, and OCR was recorded. Furthermore, postoperative EA (Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium and Cravero Scales), pain (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability), and incidence of PONV were recorded as well.
Statistical analysis: A prospective analysis of the collected data was performed using the SPSS program for Windows (version 26).
Results: The dexmedetomidine group exhibited a lower EA incidence, pain, and PONV as compared to the bupivacaine group. No statistically significant differences regarding hemodynamics, OCR, or emergence time were found between both the groups.
Conclusion: The addition of dexmedetomidine to bupivacaine in sub-Tenon's block can alleviate postoperative EA and nausea and vomiting with better pain management and hemodynamic stability in pediatric strabismus surgery under sevoflurane anesthesia.
Keywords: Dexmedetomidine; emergence agitation; strabismus surgery; sub-Tenon's block.
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