Emphasis on pain relief is of great importance at Alaska Mobile Veterinary Surgery. A multi-modal approach to pain management is part of every patient’s protocol. One of the most effective means of preventing intra- and postoperative pain is through the use of local or regional anesthetic blocks. The following methods provide superior pain relief, fewer side effects, faster recoveries and reduced hospital stays.
- Infiltration anesthesia – injection of a local anesthetic solution into and around the surgical field.
- Wound infusion catheters allow continuous delivery of local anesthetics into the tissue surrounding surgical wounds for several days following a procedure.
- NOCITA is a FDA-approved long-acting local anesthetic that gives extended-release delivery of bupivacaine. It provides up to 72 hours of post-operative pain relief with just one dose administered during surgery. NOCITA has become standard protocol for analgesia at AMVS. https://nocita.aratana.com
- Regional anesthesia – injection of a local anesthetic solution adjacent to a peripheral nerve to temporarily block conduction of pain to provide intra- and post-operative analgesia.
- Bracheal plexus nerve block – forelimb amputation
- Maxillary and mandibular nerve blocks – oral surgery
- Intercostal nerve block – thoracotomy
- Neuraxial anesthesia – administration of anesthetic and/or analgesic properties via epidural. Provides relief for procedures involving the pelvis and pelvic limbs, tail, perineum and abdomen.
- Intra-articular analgesia – administration of anesthetics and/or steroids into joints.