Intraoperative analgesic efficacy of the ultrasound-guided subcostal oblique transversus abdominis plane block for the Mercedes incision in dogs undergoing hepatectomy

We retrospectively investigated the opioid-sparing effect of the oblique subcostal transversus abdominis plane (SCTAP) block with bupivacaine in dogs undergoing open hepatectomy via the Mercedes incision. Remifentanil was used for intraoperative analgesia. The SCTAP block was performed using 0.125% bupivacaine in the TAP group, and dogs that did not receive the nerve block were assigned to the control group. The remifentanil dose was significantly lower in the TAP group than in the control group. The number of dogs that received fentanyl as rescue analgesia was significantly lower in the TAP group than in the control group. The ultrasound-guided SCTAP block with bupivacaine may substantially reduce the intraoperative dose of opioid analgesics in dogs undergoing open hepatectomy via the Mercedes incision.