Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chylothorax treated via thoracic duct ligation and omentalization.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- Year:
- 2010
- Authors:
- Stewart, Kayla & Padgett, Sheldon
- Affiliation:
- Department of Surgery · United States
Plain-English summary
Chylothorax is a serious condition where fluid builds up in the chest, affecting dogs and cats. In a study of 12 pets (five dogs and seven cats) who had surgery to treat this condition between 2001 and 2005, all of them underwent a procedure that involved tying off the thoracic duct and using a part of the abdominal lining to help manage the fluid. Some pets also had additional procedures to help with their recovery. All the animals survived the surgery, and the average time they lived afterward was about 209 days for cats and 211 days for dogs, although some lived much longer. While there were more deaths after surgery compared to other studies, the specific surgical method used did not seem to cause any complications.
Abstract
Chylothorax is an uncommon, potentially life-threatening disease of dogs and cats. Medical records of 12 animals (five dogs and seven cats) undergoing surgical management of chylothorax from 2001 to 2005 were reviewed. All animals received thoracic duct ligation and thoracic omentalization. In some cases, a combination of subtotal pericardectomy and/or pleural stripping was also employed. All animals survived surgery, and none was lost to follow-up. Median survival time for cats was 209 days (range 2 to 1328 days), and for dogs it was 211 days (range 7 to 991 days). Although postoperative mortality was higher than in other recent studies, no complications could be directly attributed to thoracic omentalization. A controlled, prospective study is needed to compare outcomes of this management method to those of other methods.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20810551/