Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Risk factors for intestinal incision problems and death in cats
By Lux, Cassie N et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2021·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Evaluation of short-term risk factors associated with dehiscence and death following full-thickness incisions of the large intestine in cats: 84 cases (1993-2015).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 84 cats that had surgery on their large intestines were monitored for complications in the week following their procedures. While most cats (94%) recovered well enough to go home, about 8% experienced serious issues like intestinal leakage or even death. Factors that increased the risk of these problems included low protein levels in the blood, previous health issues, and signs of infection at the surgical site. It's important for pet owners to be aware of these risks when their cat undergoes similar surgeries, and to watch for any unusual symptoms during recovery.
People also search for: cat surgery recovery · cat intestinal surgery complications · signs of infection after cat surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate short-term risk factors associated with dehiscence and death in cats undergoing full-thickness large intestinal incisions. ANIMALS: 84 client-owned cats that had undergone full-thickness large intestinal incisions and for which information regarding outcome through postoperative day 7 was available. PROCEDURES: Medical records from 4 veterinary teaching hospitals were reviewed. For cats that met the inclusion criteria, signalment, history, laboratory test results, surgical and medical procedures, perioperative complications, and outcome were analyzed. A Fisher exact or Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to identify individual variables associated with dehiscence of intestinal incisions or patient nonsurvival to hospital discharge or both. RESULTS: 84 cats met the inclusion criteria. The overall dehiscence and survival to hospital discharge rates were 8.3% (7/84 cats) and 94% (79/84 cats), respectively. Factors associated with dehiscence and nonsurvival to hospital discharge included presence of band neutrophils, performance of partial colectomy with colonic resection and anastomosis, administration of blood products, postoperative cardiopulmonary arrest, and incisional inflammation or infection. Factors associated with nonsurvival to hospital discharge only included low serum globulin concentration, repair of colonic trauma or dehiscence, and postoperative colonic dehiscence. Factors associated with dehiscence only included hypoalbuminemia, renal dysfunction, administration of blood products or > 2 classes of antimicrobials, and intra-abdominal fecal contamination. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that intestinal dehiscence and mortality rates associated with large intestinal incisions in cats may be higher than previously proposed, although the risk of either outcome was still low. Factors suggestive of systemic illness were associated with colonic dehiscence or death, and focused prospective studies of risk factors are warranted.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34227864/