Analgesic efficacy of an ultrasound-guided three-points transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in bitches undergoing laparoscopic ovariectomy.

TAP block reduces perioperative opioid and anesthetic requirements in canine laparoscopic ovariectomy.

This prospective, randomized, blinded, non-inferiority clinical study evaluated the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided three-point transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block using ropivacaine 0.25% versus saline control in 42 bitches undergoing laparoscopic ovariectomy. Following dexmedetomidine and methadone premedication, dogs received either ropivacaine (group R, n=22) or saline (group C, n=20) at three injection points per hemiabdomen. Intraoperative monitoring included isoflurane concentration, heart rate, and invasive arterial pressure, with fentanyl as rescue analgesia. Postoperative pain assessment occurred at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 24 hours using multiple validated scales. Group R required significantly less intraoperative fentanyl and isoflurane compared to controls. Postoperatively, TAP block provided superior analgesia on certain pain scales, with no bitches in group R requiring rescue methadone versus three in group C. The study demonstrates that ultrasound-guided TAP blocks effectively reduce perioperative opioid and anesthetic requirements while providing sustained analgesia for 24 hours in small animal laparoscopic surgery.

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