Analgesic and gastrointestinal effects of epidural morphine in horses after laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy under general anesthesia.

This research investigates the effects of using epidural morphine as an analgesic for horses undergoing laparoscopic surgery. The study suggests that epidural morphine can reduce pain without negatively impacting the gastrointestinal system.

Overview of the Study

• The study conducted was a randomized clinical trial involving 18 horses that were undergoing laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy under general anesthesia.
• The horses were randomly assigned to receive epidural morphine doses or no epidural before the surgery.
• The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the hypothesis that epidural morphine would decrease pain in horses post-surgery without adversely affecting their gastrointestinal (GI) motility.

Methodology

• Pain behaviors in horses were observed for the first two days post-surgery using a numerical rating scale.
• GI motility was evaluated by administering barium-filled spheres through a nasogastric tube before anesthesia.
• Assessment of GI motility also followed several measures such as recording manure production, quantitating the spheres in the manure, and listening to intestinal sounds through abdominal auscultation.
• Further parameters such as heart rates and cortisol concentrations in the blood were measured during the post-operative period.

Results

• The results showed that pain scores in the control group, which did not receive epidural morphine, increased for 12 hours after the surgery. The scores were significantly higher in comparison to the morphine group for the first 6 hours post-surgery.
• In contrast, pain scores remained constant throughout the observation period for the horses that received the epidural morphine.
• The heart rate and plasma cortisol concentrations did not show any significant difference between the two groups or over time.
• Importantly, no signs of colic (severe, often fluctuating pain in the abdomen) were observed in any of the horses.

Conclusions

• Based on the above observations, the researchers conclude that epidural morphine does not adversely impact GI motility in horses undergoing laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia. It also effectively manages pain post-surgery without causing significant cardiovascular or stress responses.