Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
New heart procedure helps dogs with severe mitral valve disease
By Foulex, Pierre et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2025·Veranex France, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A Novel Technique of Left Atrial Decompression Using Intracardiac Echocardiography Guidance in 2 Dogs With Advanced Degenerative Mitral Valve Disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old Jack Russell Terrier and a 12-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel were both suffering from severe heart problems due to advanced degenerative mitral valve disease, which caused them to have repeated episodes of fluid buildup in their lungs. They underwent a new minimally invasive procedure called left atrial decompression, guided by advanced imaging techniques to ensure safety. After the treatment, both dogs showed significant improvement, with their heart pressures dropping and they remained free of heart failure symptoms for 8 and 10 months, respectively.
People also search for: dog heart disease treatment · Jack Russell Terrier heart problems · Cavalier King Charles Spaniel heart failure signs
Abstract
Left atrial decompression (LAD) using transseptal puncture followed by balloon atrial septostomy recently has been described as a palliative minimally invasive procedure in dogs with advanced degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD). We report herein the first use of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) guidance combined with 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE) to ensure the safety of the LAD procedure from a caudal approach, as performed in humans, in 2 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) stage C and D DMVD dogs (Jack Russell Terrier and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) with recurrent episodes of acute pulmonary edema. Both LAD procedures were successful, as confirmed by markedly decreased systolic left atrial pressures (17 and 25 mmHg vs. 42 and 80 mmHg before LAD, respectively). Both dogs remained free of left-sided congestive heart failure signs for 8 and 10 months, respectively. The addition of ICE guidance to 3D-TEE is feasible and valuable in medium-sized dogs for safe LAD procedures.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39968809/