Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Anesthetic risks and care for dogs getting pacemakers
By Sanchis-Mora, S et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2014·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Anaesthetic management and complications of pacemaker implantation in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 57 dogs undergoing pacemaker implantation experienced various complications related to anesthesia. Most of these dogs had serious heart issues, such as third-degree atrioventricular block or sick sinus syndrome. The anesthesia used included medications like pethidine and isoflurane, and some dogs required external pacing during the procedure. While most dogs recovered well, there were some complications like low body temperature and low blood pressure, and unfortunately, three dogs did not survive the first 48 hours after surgery. Overall, the procedure showed promising outcomes for dogs with heart problems, despite some risks involved.
People also search for: dog pacemaker surgery complications · dog heart problems treatment · anesthesia risks in dogs
Abstract
The aim of this study was to report the anaesthetic management and peri-anaesthetic complications of 57 dogs undergoing pacemaker implantation at a referral institution over 10 years (2002-2012). The median duration of the procedure was 135 minutes (range 25-260 minutes). Patients were classified as American Society of Anaesthesiologist (ASA) III (42 cases) and ASA IV (15 cases). Forty-three patients had third-degree atrioventricular block, and 14 patients had sick sinus syndrome. The anaesthetic protocol most frequently chosen was pethidine (41 cases), etomidate-midazolam (43 cases) and isoflurane in oxygen for maintenance (57 cases). Transthoracic external pacing was used (43 cases) until the internal pacing lead was implanted. Atracurium was administered (48 cases) and intermittent positive pressure ventilation was applied in 52 cases. Complications observed included hypothermia (19 cases) and hypotension (5 cases). Three patients died (5.8%, 95% CI 1.1% to 14.6%) within the first 48 hours after termination of anaesthesia. The outcome for this procedure in sick animals appeared generally good though a number of complications were documented.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24958554/