Transection of the superior rectus muscle during intended superior oblique tenotomy: a report of three cases.

Abstract

Reported complications of superior oblique surgery include postoperative vertical or torsional deviation, Brown's syndrome, head tilt, blepharoptosis, and conversion of an A-pattern to a V-pattern. McNeer reported three cases of postoperative vertical deviation, one of which was attributed to severing of the superior rectus tendon. We report three additional cases of inadvertent unrecognized transection of the superior rectus during intended superior oblique tenotomy to emphasize the importance of direct visualization of these tendons during surgery.