A lateral thoracotomy (LT) is the most common approach to the thoracic cavity in dogs. This approach has been associated with severe post-operative pain in both humans and dogs. Reported sequelae to this discomfort include hypoxemia due to shallow breathing, restrictive breathing pattern, and decreased lung compliance, as well as shoulder discomfort and/or forelimb lameness.
Traditionally, analgesia following LT in dogs was heavily reliant on the use of injectable opioid medications, which has been associated with many negative side effects and prolonged hospitalization. Due to a desire to limit the use of opioids following LT, several regional analgesic techniques for post-operative pain control have been investigated. Two regional analgesic techniques which have been shown to provide effective pain relief in dogs are repeated administration of bupivacaine through a diffusion catheter and bupivacaine liposomal suspension (Nocita), but these two techniques have not been evaluated at managing post-operative pain following LT.
The goal of this study is to evaluate the potency of both repeated administration of bupivacaine through a diffusion catheter and one-time injection of bupivacaine liposomal suspension (Nocita) at providing post-operative analgesia 72 hours after LT in dogs and determine the most effective treatment.
