Retrospective comparison of three locoregional techniques for pelvic limb surgery in dogs

Ultrasound‐guided sciatic nerve block in two alpacas (Vicugna pacos) as part of an anaesthesia plan for hindlimb fractures

“…A complication of epidural anaesthesia is inadvertent intrathecal injection, which can lead to respiratory depression, as reported in an alpaca, 34 and other complications such as urinary retention or bilateral hindlimb motor block 5 . In dogs, a study comparing electrostimulation‐guided pre‐iliac femoral and sciatic nerve blocks, ultrasound‐guided saphenous and sciatic nerve blocks and lumbosacral epidural showed a higher incidence of hypotension and urinary retention when lumbosacral epidural was used 35 . PNBs could be advantageous by avoiding these complications, which was the main reason to perform a sciatic nerve block.…”

“…5 In dogs, a study comparing electrostimulation-guided pre-iliac femoral and sciatic nerve blocks, ultrasound-guided saphenous and sciatic nerve blocks and lumbosacral epidural showed a higher incidence of hypotension and urinary retention when lumbosacral epidural was used. 35 PNBs could be advantageous by avoiding these complications, which was the main reason to perform a sciatic nerve block.…”

Development of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols in veterinary medicine through a one-health approach: the role of anesthesia and locoregional techniques

“…These authors reported no need for rescue analgesia in any of the dogs for the first 24 hours postoperatively. Ferrero et al 35 reported an analgesia that was similar in quality to epidural anesthesia but with significantly less side effects such as intraoperative hypotension or postoperative urinary retention. These reported qualities may indicate initial suitability for implementation in ERAS protocols.…”

“…The advantage versus epidural anesthesia is the absence of side effects such as postoperative motor impairment of the pelvic limbs from the local anesthetic or the possible urinary retention from the administration of opioids (morphine, perhaps the most prevalent). 35,42 One exception can be the use of neuraxial (epidural) anesthesia in cesarean sections in which low-dose ("walking") epidural anesthesia is still the preferred technique. 43,44 For abdominal procedures, 2 techniques are of special interest and TAP block-This fascial plane infiltration targets the relevant ventral spinal branches traveling in between the transverse abdominis and internal oblique muscles of an area in the dog that extends from dermatomes T9 to L3 (Figure 3).…”

“…However, a TAP block is fast to execute, it does not require extra clipping, and it appears to provide adequate postoperative analgesia for abdominal procedures. In addition, this infiltration will not interfere postoperatively with ambulation or urinary control as it may be the case with epidural anesthesia, 35,42 thus making it perhaps better suited for ERAS protocols. Further clinical studies comparing these 2 techniques are needed before we can make specific recommendations.…”