Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Laser treatment for vaginal membrane remnants in female dogs
By Burdick, Stacy et al.Ā·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical AssociationĀ·2014Ā·Department of Internal Medicine, United StatesĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Endoscopic-guided laser ablation of vestibulovaginal septal remnants in dogs: 36 cases (2007-2011).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 36 female dogs with urinary incontinence and other issues related to vaginal septal remnants underwent a procedure called endoscopic-guided laser ablation to treat their conditions. Many of these dogs had additional problems, such as ectopic ureters, which were also addressed during the treatment. After the procedure, most dogs showed significant improvement in their urinary control and a decrease in urinary tract infections. Follow-up evaluations showed that all treated areas had healed properly, with no signs of recurrence. Overall, this laser treatment proved to be a safe and effective option for these dogs.
People also search for: dog urinary incontinence treatment Ā· laser surgery for dog vaginal problems Ā· dog urinary tract infection prevention
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the technique and evaluate short- and long-term outcomes in female dogs after endoscopic-guided laser ablation (ELA) of various vestibulovaginal septal remnants (VVSRs). DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 36 dogs. PROCEDURES: Medical records of dogs with VVSRs that underwent ELA were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent complete cystourethrovaginoscopy for diagnosis and treatment. Endoscopic-guided laser ablation (with a holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet or diode laser) was used to transect the vaginal membrane. Patients with intramural ectopic ureters were concurrently treated with ELA of their ectopic ureters. Endoscopy was repeated 6 to 8 weeks after ELA of vaginal remnants in some patients, and the procedure sites were reassessed. RESULTS: 36 female dogs with persistent paramesonephric septal remnants (n = 19), vaginal septa (11), or dual vaginas (6) were included. Twenty-six dogs had urinary incontinence, 2 had recurrent UTIs, and 8 had both. Thirty of 36 (83%) dogs had concurrent ectopic ureters. Endoscopic-guided laser ablation was performed with holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet and diode lasers in 8 and 28 dogs, respectively. Five dogs had mild postoperative dysuria for < 24 hours. One patient developed a complication involving inadvertent laser perforation of the vaginal wall. There were no negative effects from this event, and the perforation was fully healed within 8 weeks. At the time of follow-up, all defects were fully healed with no sign of recurrence in the 18 (50%) patients reevaluated. There was a significant improvement in continence scores and a significantly decreased incidence of UTIs after ELA. The median follow-up time was 34 months (range, 8 to 57 months). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVENCE: The results of the present study indicated that ELA provided an effective, safe, and minimally invasive treatment option for various VVSRs in dogs, avoiding the need for more invasive surgery.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24697771/