Use of lidocaine-bupivacaine-infused absorbable gelatin hemostatic sponges versus lidocaine-bupivacaine retrobulbar injections for postoperative analgesia following eye enucleation in dogs

Objective—To compare use of lidocaine-bupivacaine–infused absorbable gelatin hemostatic sponges versus lidocaine-bupivacaine retrobulbar injections for postoperative analgesia in dogs following eye enucleation. Design—Randomized case-control study. Animals—19 dogs that underwent eye enucleation. Procedures—19 client-owned dogs admitted to a referral hospital for routine eye enucleation were enrolled with owner consent and randomly assigned to receive an orbital absorbable gelatin hemostatic sponge infused with lidocaine and bupivacaine after globe removal (n = 8) or retrobulbar injection of lidocaine and bupivacaine before globe removal (11). Baseline pain scores were recorded on the basis of an ordinal pain scale. Anesthetic premedication consisted of hydromorphone, midazolam, and glycopyrrolate. Propofol was used for anesthetic induction and isoflurane for maintenance. A transpalpebral eye enucleation was performed by a board-certified ophthalmologist. Pain scores and heart rate were again recorded 15 a...