Comparison of Rocuronium and Cisatracurium in Ophthalmic Surgeries in Association with the Incidence of Intraoperative Bradycardia- A Retrospective Study

Purpose: Serious complications may arise during the onset and management of intraoperative bradycardia. This study aimed to investigate several factors that may reduce the incidence of intraoperative bradycardia in adult patients undergoing general anaesthesia for various ophthalmic procedures. Patients and Methods: A total of 947 adult patients who underwent general anaesthesia for different ophthalmic surgeries in 2020 were initially included. Following the exclusion of 104 cases, 843 patients were eligible for analysis. Patients received either cisatracurium with neostigmine (n = 388) or rocuronium with sugammadex (n = 455) as neuromuscular blocking and reversal agents, respectively. Quantitative neuromuscular monitoring was applied in all cases, while depth of anaesthesia was monitored using the bispectral index (BIS) in selected cases. The primary outcome was the incidence of intraoperative bradycardia, defined as a heart rate of fewer than 60 beats per minute. Results: The group receiving rocuronium and sugammadex demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of intraoperative bradycardia (p < 0.001). This reduction was further supported by logistic regression analysis, both in univariate (OR, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.02–0.24; p = 0.001) and multivariate models (OR, 0.08; 95% CI, 0.02–0.94; p = 0.001). Additionally, this group exhibited a significantly higher rate of BIS monitoring during surgery, alongside a significant reduction in total opioid (p = 0.039) and sevoflurane consumption (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The use of rocuronium is associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of intraoperative bradycardia in adult patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery under general anaesthesia.