Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Risks of complications after neck disc surgery in 546 dogs
By Rossmeisl, John H et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2013·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Acute adverse events associated with ventral slot decompression in 546 dogs with cervical intervertebral disc disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 546 dogs with cervical intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) underwent a surgery called ventral slot decompression (VSD) to relieve their symptoms. About 10% of these dogs experienced some form of adverse event after the surgery, with serious issues like worsening neurologic status and persistent pain being the most common. While most dogs improved after treatment, nearly half of those with major complications needed additional surgery. Thankfully, there were no fatalities, but a small number of dogs were euthanized afterward. Overall, the study highlights the importance of monitoring for complications after this type of surgery.
People also search for: dog cervical disc disease surgery complications · ventral slot decompression recovery · dog surgery adverse events
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report the frequency, types, and risk factors for acute perioperative adverse events (AEs) in dogs that had ventral slot decompression (VSD) for cervical intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). DESIGN: Retrospective, case-control study. ANIMALS: Dogs (n = 546) with cervical IVDD treated by VSD; 54 cases experiencing AE and 492 controls. METHODS: Historical, clinical, diagnostic, operative, and outcome data were collected. AE were graded using a Spine Adverse Events Severity (SAVES) system. Associations between the development of AE and hypothesized risk factors were analyzed using bi- and multi-variable analyses. RESULTS: AE were observed in 54 dogs (9.9%). Minor AE (SAVES Grade 1-2) occurred in 3.5% (19 dogs) and major (SAVES Grades 3-5) AE in 6.4% (35 dogs). Deterioration in neurologic status (n = 13), persistent pain (12), and intraoperative hemorrhage (7) were common major AE. NSAID administration, surgeon experience, C7-T1 disc location, and intraoperative hypotension were significantly associated with AE in multivariate analyses. Improvement of AE occurred in 48/54 (88.9%) of cases, although reoperative neurosurgery was required in 48.5% (17/35) of dogs experiencing major AE. Dogs with major AE had significantly longer hospitalization and worse outcomes than dogs with minor AE or controls. No fatal AE occurred, although 0.7% (4/546) of dogs were euthanatized postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: AE occurred in 9.9% of dogs that had VSD, and were significantly associated with perioperative hypotension, C7-T1 disc extrusions, surgeon experience, and NSAID usage. Identification of a major postoperative AE is an indication for immediate diagnostic imaging studies, as 50% of dogs experiencing major AE required reoperation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23980621/