Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pain relief options for dogs having back surgery with erector spinae
By Martínez I Ferré, Bernat et al.·Published in Veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia·2024·Dick White Referrals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Retrospective comparison between low-volume high-concentration and high-volume low-concentration levobupivacaine for bilateral erector spinae plane block in dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy (a type of back surgery) received either a low-volume high-concentration or a high-volume low-concentration local anesthetic to help manage pain during the procedure. The results showed that dogs given the low-volume high-concentration anesthetic needed less additional pain medication (fentanyl) during surgery compared to those receiving the high-volume low-concentration option. Both groups had similar pain management needs after surgery, indicating that the low-volume high-concentration method was effective in reducing intraoperative pain without increasing postoperative discomfort.
People also search for: dog back surgery pain management · hemilaminectomy recovery for dogs · local anesthetic options for dog surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare the analgesic effect of a bilateral ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy using either a low-volume high-concentration (LV-HC) or a high-volume low-concentration (HV-LC) local anaesthetic solution. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational equivalence trial. ANIMALS: A total of 391 client-owned dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy. METHODS: Dogs were assigned to group LV-HC or HV-LC depending on whether 0.2-0.25% levobupivacaine (0.4-0.5 mL kg) or 0.125-0.15% levobupivacaine (0.8-1 mL kg) was used to perform the ESPB, respectively. The number of dogs in which intraoperative rescue fentanyl boluses were administered, the total dose of fentanyl administered, the overall methadone consumption during the first 24 hours postoperatively and anaesthetic complications were recorded. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed considering p < 0.05 significant. RESULTS: A total of 248 and 143 dogs were assigned to groups LV-HC and HV-LC, respectively. In group HV-LC, the number of dogs requiring fentanyl intraoperatively (64.3%) was higher (p = 0.0001) than that in group LV-HC (43.5%). The overall intraoperative fentanyl consumption was higher in group HV-LC between the first skin incision and the end of the lamina drilling (p = 0.028). According to the regression analysis, the group allocation was the best variable to predict the intraoperative fentanyl consumption (p < 0.001). Antimuscarinic drugs were administered more frequently in group LV-HC (p < 0.02). However, the prevalence of hypotension and other pharmacological cardiovascular interventions did not differ between groups. No differences in methadone consumption during the first 24 hours postoperatively were found between the groups. CONCLUSIONSAND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: When performing a bilateral ESPB in dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy, compared with HV-LC, the use of LV-HC local anaesthetic solution reduces the intraoperative fentanyl consumption without affecting the postoperative methadone requirement.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38772850/