Clinical Assessment of an Ipsilateral Cervical Spinal Nerve Block for Prosthetic Laryngoplasty in Anesthetized Horses.
Authors: Morris Tate B, Lumsden Jonathan M, Dunlop Colin I, Locke Victoria, Sommerauer Sophia, Hurcombe Samuel D A
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Prosthetic laryngoplasty in horses presents a significant anaesthetic challenge due to intense surgical stimulation in an already compromised airway. Researchers at this institution reviewed records from 40 horses undergoing the procedure: 20 that received an ipsilateral cervical spinal nerve block (targeting C2 and C3 nerve roots) prior to general anaesthesia, and 20 matched controls without locoregional anaesthesia. The blocked group demonstrated substantially reduced intraoperative anaesthetic requirements, with non-blocked horses being 11 times more likely to need adjunct sedatives or analgesics during surgery and 7.4 times more likely to require partial intravenous anaesthesia alongside inhalant agents. Notably, no horse in the blocked cohort required additional medication based on anaesthetist assessment, compared with 75% of controls—whilst recovery quality remained equivalent between groups. For equine practitioners managing recurrent laryngeal neuropathy cases, this technique offers a practical means of reducing total anaesthetic drug exposure and associated complications during what remains a technically demanding procedure, particularly valuable for higher-risk patients where minimising cumulative drug effects is desirable.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Ipsilateral cervical spinal nerve blocks (C2-C3) reduce inhalant anesthetic requirements during laryngoplasty, potentially decreasing anesthetic depth and related side effects
- •Use of locoregional anesthesia eliminated the need for additional sedation/analgesia in this surgical procedure, simplifying perioperative management
- •Recovery quality remained equivalent between groups, suggesting the nerve block is safe and well-tolerated without compromising post-operative outcomes
Key Findings
- •Non-blocked horses were 11 times more likely to require adjunct anesthetic treatment during surgical stimulation (P = 0.03)
- •Non-blocked horses were 7.4 times more likely to receive partial intravenous anesthesia in addition to inhalant anesthesia (P = 0.01)
- •No horse in the locoregional anesthesia group required additional sedation/analgesia compared to 75% of non-blocked horses
- •Recovery quality did not differ between blocked and non-blocked groups (P > 0.99)