A comparison of the succinylcholine induced ocular position and the postoperative alignment in strabismus.

Succinylcholine was injected intraoperatively in 41 strabismus patients with congenital esotropia or intermittent or constant exotropia. Regression analyses were performed to investigate the predictive relationships between the one-, six-, and 26-week postoperative alignment and the intraoperative, succinylcholine-induced ocular position. Ocular position, determined by the interlimbal distance in millimeters, was calculated using a semi-automated, video replay analysis system. Large, statistically significant correlation coefficients were obtained for patients undergoing bimedial recessions of 4.0 to 5.5 mm and bilateral lateral rectus recessions of 5.0 to 7.0 mm. Small correlations were obtained for esotropes undergoing the recession/resection procedure and those with bimedial recessions of 6.0 mm or greater. These data support the theory that the succinylcholine-sensitive subgroup of the extraocular muscle fibers are those whose tonic contracture provide the motor component to ocular alignment. Sample sizes at present are insufficient to suggest clinical use of these data. In future research, these relationships will be tested for their ability to predict postoperative alignment and thereby, improve success rates in strabismus surgery.