Intraoperative Analgesic Effect of Intrafunicular Lidocaine Injection During Orchiectomy in Isoflurane-Anesthetized Martina Franca Donkeys

This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic effect of intrafunicular lidocaine during orchiectomy in isoflurane-anesthetized donkeys. For this purpose, 10 adult healthy donkeys were chosen from Martina Franca donkey population. Each donkey underwent two surgical procedures of monolateral orchiectomy under general anesthesia. Starting isoflurane vaporizer setting was 1.5% to maintain a light plane of anesthesia. Regional anesthesia was performed by injecting 10 mL of 2% lidocaine plus adrenalin or an equivalent volume of saline solution into the spermatic cord. According to what was injected into the funiculus before the surgical procedure, each donkey was once assigned to the group L (lidocaine) and once to the group S (saline). End-tidal isoflurane and standard physiological parameters were measured. Compared with groups, monolateral orchiectomy increased mean heart rate in group S; during surgical procedure, the end-tidal isoflurane was significantly lower in group L. No differences were found regarding mean arterial blood pressure, respiratory rate, recovery quality, and metabolic parameters between groups during procedures. In isoflurane-anesthetized donkeys, intrafunicular injection of lidocaine before castration appears to decrease intraoperative nociception and significantly reduces the concentration of the volatile agent to obtain a sufficient surgical anesthesia.