RESPIRATORY ARREST AFTER LOCAL-ANESTHESIA FOR OUTPATIENT CATARACT-SURGERY - A DRAMATIC BUT TRANSIENT COMPLICATION

Retrobulbar injection of anesthetic agents is common practice before o phthalmologic procedures. Rare but life-threatening complications of t his procedure include respiratory depression and coma. We present the case of a woman with complete respiratory arrest and unresponsiveness who was brought into our emergency department from a local freestandin g surgical center after preoperative retrobulbar anesthetic injection. Subsequently, the pathogenesis, clinical features, and supportive tre atment for this dramatic but transient complication are discussed.