Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
New surgical method to open narrow dog nostrils and ease breathing
By Ellison, Gary W·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2004·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Alapexy: an alternative technique for repair of stenotic nares in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with breathing problems due to narrow nostrils underwent a new surgical procedure called alapexy, which helps keep their nostrils open. Out of five dogs treated, four showed significant improvement in their ability to breathe more easily after the surgery. This technique may be especially helpful for dogs whose nostrils are difficult to repair with standard methods. While it was a bit more challenging to perform than other surgeries, it offered better results for some dogs.
People also search for: dog breathing problems surgery · stenotic nares treatment for dogs · alapexy for dogs breathing issues
Abstract
Alapexy involves the creation and apposition of two small elliptical incisions, which fix the alae in an abducted position. Permanent alapexy was achieved in four of five dogs (eight of nine nostrils) that were operated. Four animals had significant improvement in their respiratory efforts because of reduced nasal obstruction. Although the alapexy procedure was somewhat more difficult to perform than simple wedge resection techniques, it may be a viable option in those animals where other techniques have failed or in animals that have dystrophic or flaccid alar cartilage. The alapexy technique may also improve the diameter of the nares compared to previously described techniques.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15533969/