Bilateral ultrasound‐guided lateral quadratus lumborum block in a minipig undergoing ovariectomy

Abstract

AbstractA 2‐year‐old Göttingen miniature pig was presented for elective ovariectomy. After premedication with ketamine 15 mg/kg and azaperone 2 mg/kg intramuscularly, general anaesthesia was induced with propofol 1.5 mg/kg intravenously. With the animal in sternal recumbency, a 15 × 15 cm area on the dorsolateral aspect of the flank at the level of the second lumbar vertebra (L2) was clipped and aseptically prepared. Using a linear transducer, the epaxial musculature as well as the quadratus lumborum and abdominal wall muscles were identified. Then, 0.6 ml/kg of 0.25% ropivacaine was injected bilaterally at the level of L2 using a ventral‐to‐dorsal in‐plane approach under ultrasound guidance. Anaesthesia was stable and uneventful. Predefined thresholds for nociception were not exceeded at any time. After recovery, regular pain evaluation using the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)‐Botucatu pig composite acute pain scale did not indicate the need for rescue analgesia up to 4 h after the block was performed.