Laser acupuntura como adjuvante para o controle da dor pós-operatória em gatas submetidas à ovariosalpingohisterectomia

This study evaluates the application of laser acupuncture points adjuvant to control postoperative pain in cats. In a blind study, a total of 20 healthy cats, undergoing ovariosalpingohysterectomy (OSH), were randomly distributed in two groups with 10 animals each: Laser: application of infra-red laser (wavelength: 904 nm, frequency: 124 Hz and power: 3 J/cm2) on 36 acupoints in the stomach and 6 in the spleen-pancreas, bilaterally, for 9 seconds at each point; Control: did not receive stimulus on the acupuncture points. All animals were sedated with a combination of ketamine (5 mg/kg), midazolam (0.5 mg/kg) and tramadol (2 mg/kg), intramuscular. Fifteen minutes later, laser acupuncture started in the cats of the Laser group. Propofol (3 mg/kg, IV) and isoflurane were used to induce and maintain anesthesia, respectively. The surgeries were performed by the same surgeon using the average celiotomy technique. Postoperatively, the degree of analgesia was measured by an observer unware of the treatment given at the following times 0, 5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 18 and 24 hours after extubation. The feline pain was measured using the Dynamic Visual Interactive Analog Scale (DVIAS) and the Variable Count Scale (VCS). Tramadol (2 mg/kg, IM) was used as rescue analgesia when the sum of DVIAS and VCS scores exceeded 33%. The statistical analysis was performed by the unpaired t, Mann-Whitney and Friedman (p < 0.05) tests. Pain scores did not differ between treatments. However, in the postoperative period, the analgesic supplementation was significantly lower in the Laser group (1/10 cats, 1 rescue) compared to Control (5/10 cats, 7 rescues) (p = 0.0383). Pre-operative laser acupuncture reduced the need for supplemental analgesia to control post-operative pain in cats undergoing OSH.