Comparison of sedation quality and safety of detomidine and romifidine as a continuous rate infusion for standing elective laparoscopic ovariectomy in mares.
Authors: Lawless Shauna P, Moorman Valerie J, Hendrickson Dean A, Mama Khursheed R
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Editorial Summary Standing laparoscopic ovariectomy in mares requires reliable, maintainable sedation with minimal movement to ensure surgical safety, making the choice of sedative agent clinically significant. This blinded, randomised trial compared continuous infusions of detomidine (loading dose 13.9 µg/kg, infusion 37.8 µg/kg/h) and romifidine (46 µg/kg loading, 126 µg/kg/h infusion) in 18 healthy mares, recording intraoperative parameters including head height, postural sway, heart rate and response to surgical stimulus, alongside postoperative pain and gastrointestinal function. Detomidine produced significantly lower head carriage during surgery and markedly greater rotational sway around the vertical axis, whilst romifidine required additional supplementation in two of nine mares compared to one receiving detomidine; no meaningful differences emerged in intraoperative cardiovascular stability, postoperative pain scores or faecal output between groups. For practitioners selecting a sedation protocol for standing ovariectomy, romifidine offers a practical alternative to detomidine with the potential advantage of reducing problematic head drop and ataxic movement—factors that may enhance both operative conditions and standing stability in the recovery phase, though individual mare responses warrant monitoring and contingency planning for occasional protocol adjustments.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Romifidine is a suitable alternative to detomidine for standing laparoscopic surgery sedation in mares, with the advantage of maintaining better head carriage and reducing ataxia
- •Both agents achieved reliable standing sedation with minimal need for supplementation (17% of cases), suggesting either protocol is clinically effective for this procedure
- •Choose romifidine if minimizing head drop and postural sway is a priority for surgical access or patient safety during standing procedures
Key Findings
- •Both detomidine and romifidine continuous rate infusions provided comparable sedation quality and surgical conditions for standing ovariectomy in mares
- •Detomidine resulted in significantly lower head height (p<0.001) and greater postural sway around vertical axis (p=0.013) compared to romifidine
- •Only 3 of 18 mares required additional sedation supplementation, with no differences in postoperative pain scores or fecal output between groups