Multimodal Loco-Regional Analgesic Strategies and Pharmacokinetic Assessment: Combining and Comparing Quadratus Lumborum Block, TAP Block, Intraperitoneal Irrigation, and Incisional Infiltration in Major Canine Abdominal Surgery.
In veterinary medicine, major abdominal surgeries are commonly associated with moderate to severe perioperative pain, which, if inadequately controlled, can lead to delayed recovery, increased morbidity, and reduced patient welfare.
While systemic analgesic therapies such as opioids and antinflammatory drugs remain the standard of care, their application is often limited by significant side effects.
Consequently, there is growing interest in integrating loco-regional anesthesia techniques into multimodal analgesic strategies to enhance analgesic efficacy while minimizing systemic drug-related complications.
This project aims to clinically and pharmacokinetically compare four loco regional analgesic techniques in dogs undergoing major abdominal surgery: the quadratus lumborum (QL) block, the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block, intraperitoneal irrigation, and incisional infiltration.
The project will evaluate each technique in terms of analgesic efficacy, pharmacokinetic profile of the administered local anesthetic, and ease of clinical application.
In addition, a combination phase will explore potential synergistic effects between techniques, optimize dosing strategies, and assess safety and feasibility in a clinical setting.
Further objectives include assessing innovative strategies for prolonged analgesia, such as continuous infusion via long-term catheter and the use of adjuvant drugs to enhance and extend the duration of the local anesthetic effect.
The ultimate goal is to identify the most effective and safest analgesic approaches to reduce perioperative opioid consumption, minimize drug-related adverse effects, and shorten hospitalization time, thereby improving the overall welfare of canine patients.
The outcomes of this research will contribute to the development of evidence-based, personalized multimodal analgesic protocols in veterinary practice, improving the quality of care and welfare of canine patients undergoing major abdominal surgeries.
Graduation in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Milan – October 2021, with a thesis on “TIVA vs PIVA: intra- and post-operative cardiorespiratory and analgesic effects in dogs undergoing gonadectomy”, awarded 110/110 with honors.
Hospital Contractor for the Anesthesiology Service at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Milan, managing anesthesia and analgesia in small and large animals, exotic species, and critical patients (post-graduation).
Thesis supervisor for Veterinary Medicine students at the University of Milan, with focus on clinical anesthesia and analgesia.
Co-author of publications and conference presentations on anesthetic and analgesic protocols in companion animals and non-human primates (2024–2025).
Strong interest in veterinary anesthesiology, analgesia, perioperative medicine, and critical care.
Publications: Orcid
Supervisor Prof. Giuliano Ravasio
Co-supervisor Prof. Petra Picò Cagnardi
