ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate efficacy and safety of using an electrothermal, feedback-controlled, bipolar sealing device (BSD) for resection of the elongated portion of the soft palate in brachycephalic dogs with upper airway obstruction. DESIGN: Uncontrolled clinical trial. ANIMALS: 24 brachycephalic dogs with airway obstruction and elongated soft palate. PROCEDURES: In all dogs, the excess portion of the soft palate was resected with a BSD. A score for severity of clinical signs of respiratory tract obstruction was assigned before surgery, during the first 24 hours after surgery, and at the time of final follow-up 12 to 23 months after surgery. Potential scores ranged from 0 (no clinical signs even with moderate to vigorous activity) to 4 (agonal breathing or severe cyanosis). RESULTS: None of the dogs died or developed life-threatening complications after surgery. Clinical scores after surgery (mean +/- SD, 0.3 +/- 0.6) and at the time of final follow-up (0.9 + 0.5) were significantly lower than preoperative scores (2.6 +/- 0.8). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that a BSD can be safely used for resection of the elongated portion of the soft palate in brachycephalic dogs with upper airway obstruction.
Subject(s)
Airway Obstruction/veterinary , Constriction, Pathologic/veterinary , Dog Diseases/surgery , Electrosurgery/veterinary , Palate, Soft/abnormalities , Palate, Soft/surgery , Airway Obstruction/surgery , Animals , Constriction, Pathologic/surgery , Dogs , Electrosurgery/methods , Female , Male , Palate, Soft/pathology , Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods , Plastic Surgery Procedures/veterinary , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Eighteen dogs were used to compare histopathological findings following excision of the soft palate using either a bipolar sealing device or a carbon dioxide laser. Histopathological comparisons were done at 48 and 96 hours after soft palate resection. Mean depths of tissue injury at 96 hours were 3.5 and 3.33 mm for bipolar sealing device and carbon dioxide laser, respectively. Control of hemorrhage was excellent in all dogs, and none of the dogs developed signs of respiratory compromise after soft palate resection. Using the bipolar sealing device for soft palate resection was significantly faster than using the carbon dioxide laser, although both techniques were fast.
Subject(s)
Dog Diseases/surgery , Electrosurgery/veterinary , Laser Therapy/veterinary , Palate, Soft/surgery , Plastic Surgery Procedures/veterinary , Animals , Dog Diseases/pathology , Dogs , Electrosurgery/methods , Female , Laser Therapy/methods , Male , Palate, Soft/abnormalities , Palate, Soft/pathology , Random Allocation , Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Ovariectomy was performed in a 7-month-old Great Pyrenees with a severe congenital bleeding disorder. A diagnosis of Glanzmann thrombasthenia, a rare, congenital bleeding disorder characterized by a functional platelet defect, was later confirmed by isolation of genomic DNA from blood and amplification of exon 13 and intron 13 of the gene encoding for platelet glycoprotein subunit alphaIIb. Perioperative management consisted of administration of platelet-rich plasma prior to surgery and the use of high-frequency electrocoagulation to minimize tissue trauma. In addition, ovariectomy, rather than ovariohysterectomy, was performed to minimize surgical exposure required and manipulation of the urogenital tract. Results in this dog suggest that a combination of preoperative transfusion with functional platelets and use of techniques to minimize tissue trauma may allow abdominal surgery to be performed successfully in dogs with functional platelet disorders.
