Standing Sedation and Iocoregional Analgesia in Equine Dental Surgery
Authors: Campoy Luis, Sedgwick Samantha R.
Journal: Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Standing Sedation and Locoregional Analgesia in Equine Dental Surgery Standing dental procedures offer equine practitioners a valuable alternative to general anaesthesia, substantially reducing recovery-related complications that remain a significant concern in equine surgery. Campoy and Sedgwick reviewed the evidence underpinning procedural sedation combined with locoregional anaesthetic blocks for equine dental work, emphasising how this integrated approach delivers adequate analgesia and muscular relaxation whilst maintaining the horse in a semiconscious, cooperative state. The critical message for practitioners is that successful implementation demands precise anatomical knowledge—particularly regarding the distribution and depth of nerve blocks around the equine head—as technical accuracy directly correlates with block efficacy and minimises the risk of iatrogenic complications including nerve damage, vascular puncture, and diffusion into unwanted anatomical spaces. For farriers, veterinary surgeons, and equine physiotherapists managing dental disease, this work underscores that careful case selection, combined with systematic regional anaesthetic protocols, can enable complex intraoral procedures without the inherent dangers of recovery from general anaesthesia. Understanding the anatomy, needle trajectories, and volume requirements for blocks targeting the inferior alveolar, infraorbital, and mental nerves—amongst others—therefore becomes essential knowledge for any equine professional involved in therapeutic dental interventions.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Standing dental procedures under sedation with locoregional blocks are a viable alternative to general anesthesia, reducing recovery risks for your patients
- •Mastering the anatomy of nerve blocks and injection sites is essential for safe and effective implementation of these techniques in your practice
- •This approach may improve client confidence by avoiding general anesthesia while maintaining adequate pain control and procedural conditions
Key Findings
- •Procedural sedation combined with locoregional anesthesia allows standing dental and diagnostic procedures in horses, avoiding general anesthesia complications
- •Success and safety of locoregional anesthetic techniques depend critically on thorough anatomical knowledge
- •Standing sedation and local anesthesia provide sufficient analgesia and muscle relaxation for surgical procedures without recovery-related complications of general anesthesia