Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgery outcomes for older dogs with liver blood vessel shunts
By Worley, Deanna R & Holt, David E·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2008·Department of Clinical Studies, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical outcome of congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt attenuation in dogs aged five years and older: 17 cases (1992-2005).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 17 dogs aged 5 to 9 years with liver problems caused by a condition called extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (EHPSS) underwent surgery to correct it. Many of these dogs showed symptoms like neurological issues, urinary problems, and gastrointestinal signs. After surgery, some dogs had improved liver function, with a few showing nearly normal bile acid and ammonia levels in follow-up tests. However, two dogs died after the procedure, and while the median survival time for the others was about 6 years, not all dogs returned to normal liver function.
People also search for: dog liver problems surgery · EHPSS treatment in older dogs · dog bile acid levels after surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcome of extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (EHPSS) treatment in dogs aged 5 years and older. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 17 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES: Medical records for dogs (> or = 5 years old) that underwent surgical attenuation of an EHPSS (1992 through 2005) were evaluated; data, including clinical signs, clinicopathologic findings, surgical procedure, and outcome, were recorded. Follow-up information was obtained via patient examination or telephone interview with veterinarians and owners. RESULTS: Dogs (5 to 9 years old [median age, 6.6 years]) had neurologic (n = 12), urinary tract (8), and gastrointestinal tract (6) EHPSS-associated clinical signs. Serum bile acids and ammonia concentrations were abnormal in all evaluated dogs. Treatment of EHPSSs included complete (n = 6 dogs) or partial (2) suture attenuation or ameroid constrictor placement (9). Two dogs died following surgery. Follow-up information (6 to 120 months) was available for 13 dogs. Deaths were attributable to heart failure (n = 1), bacterial hepatitis (2; with pyelonephritis in 1 dog), and unknown causes (3). At a median of 23 and 25 months, serum bile acids concentrations had almost normalized in 5 of 8 dogs and ammonia concentrations were within reference limits in 3 of 5 dogs, respectively; dogs with abnormal liver function test results had no associated clinical signs. Median long-term survival time was 72 months. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Attenuation of EHPSS in > or = 5-year-old dogs ameliorated signs of liver dysfunction in surviving dogs, although return of normal liver function occurred less frequently than expected.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18312179/