Parker et al: Pelvic limb anesthesia and analgesia in dogs undergoing tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO): A survey of board-certified anesthesiologists
Veterinary Surgery 4, 2023

🔍 Key Findings

• Peripheral nerve block (PNB) was preferred by 79% of anesthesiologists; lumbosacral epidural (LE) by 21%; PI <1%.
• Time since board-certification significantly influenced preference: PNB favored by newer diplomates, LE favored by more senior ones (p < .001).
• Employment sector mattered: PNB was preferred more in private practice, LE more in academia (p = .003).
• PNB perceived as more effective, with 78% reporting 81–100% effectiveness; compared to 55% for LE.
• PNB associated with fewer adverse effects (75%) than LE (4%) and PI (21%).
• PNB required less rescue analgesia intraoperatively (57%) and postoperatively (54%) than LE or PI.
• LE preferred for bilateral TPLOs and in smaller dogs; PNB for larger dogs, due to motor function preservation.
• Dexmedetomidine was the most common additive to PNB; bupivacaine-only was most used for PNB.