Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dogs with vena cava blockage and fluid after pacemaker fixed
By Van De Wiele, Carrie M et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2008·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cranial vena caval syndrome secondary to transvenous pacemaker implantation in two dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two dogs developed serious breathing problems due to fluid buildup in their chest, which happened four years after they had pacemakers implanted. The issue was caused by a narrowing of a major vein, likely from scar tissue forming around the pacemaker leads. To treat this, veterinarians performed a procedure called balloon angioplasty, which helped open up the narrowed vein and resolved the fluid buildup in both dogs. This treatment proved effective for their condition.
People also search for: dog breathing problems after pacemaker · cranial vena cava syndrome in dogs · balloon angioplasty for dogs
Abstract
Superior vena caval syndrome is a rare, but reported complication of transvenous pacemaker implantation in humans. This syndrome can occur secondary to fibrotic and/or thrombotic obstruction of venous blood flow into the right atrium. The therapeutic approach depends on the suspicion of the presence of an active thrombus and may include antithrombotics, angioplasty and/or surgical venoplasty. We describe two dogs that developed severe pleural effusion secondary to stricture formation in the cranial vena cava 4 years after dual chamber transvenous pacemaker implantation. The stenosis was most likely due to fibrosis secondary to the transvenous pacemaker leads. Balloon angioplasty of the lesion resulted in resolution of the pleural effusion in both patients. Balloon angioplasty appears to be a viable therapeutic approach in dogs with cranial vena caval syndrome caused by focal stenotic lesions.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19013116/