Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog developed esophageal tear from electrosurgery during knee surgery
By Burgess, Richard C F et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2011·Chesapeake Veterinary Surgical Specialists, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: An alternative pathway electrosurgical unit injury in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old male Labrador retriever developed serious breathing problems after routine knee surgery. During the surgery, a tool used for cutting and cauterizing tissue accidentally caused a burn in the dog's esophagus, leading to dehydration and respiratory distress the next day. Despite attempts to fix the injury with exploratory surgery, the dog suffered cardiac arrest during the procedure. Unfortunately, the dog did not survive due to severe damage to the esophagus and heart.
People also search for: dog breathing problems after surgery · Labrador retriever esophagus injury · dog cardiac arrest during surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report esophageal perforation, caused by alternative current pathway from the use of a monopolar electrosurgery unit (ESU), during routine orthopedic surgery in a dog. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical report. ANIMALS: Two-year-old male Labrador retriever. METHODS: Medial meniscectomy and lateral suture stabilization were performed on a healthy Labrador retriever with a ruptured cranial cruciate ligament. Monopolar electrosurgery was used during the procedure for hemostasis and tissue dissection. Anesthetic monitoring was augmented with an esophageal electrocardiogram (ECG) probe. The day after surgery, the dog appeared dehydrated. After intravenous fluid therapy, respiratory distress was noted and thoracic radiography and contrast fluoroscopy revealed an esophageal perforation. RESULTS: Exploratory surgery was planned to repair the defect. Cardiac arrest occurred after induction. Gross necropsy findings and histopathologic examination revealed lesions consistent with thermal necrosis of the esophagus and myocardial degeneration. An internal investigation of this medical device accident revealed that multiple factors may have contributed to the injury. CONCLUSIONS: An alternative current pathway from the monopolar ESU to the esophageal ECG probe resulted in a full-thickness esophageal thermal injury and cardiac failure.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21418257/