Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Folded-flap palatoplasty surgery outcomes in brachycephalic dogs
By Miloro, Renato et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2026·The University of Messina, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Folded-flap palatoplasty performed with a needle-tip monopolar cautery: retrospective cohort of 66 brachycephalic dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 66 brachycephalic dogs, which are breeds with short noses like Bulldogs and Pugs, underwent surgery to help with breathing problems caused by brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. The surgery involved several procedures, including a technique called folded-flap palatoplasty, and was performed using a special cautery tool. After six weeks, most dogs showed significant improvement in their breathing and overall health, with 94% of owners satisfied with the results. While there were some minor complications, none were serious, and the dogs generally recovered well over the following months.
People also search for: brachycephalic dog breathing problems surgery · folded-flap palatoplasty for dogs · dog respiratory health improvement
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate short- and long-term patient outcomes retrospectively, investigate anesthetic and surgical times, and assess clinically relevant surgical wound complications associated with the use of needle-tip monopolar electrocautery for folded-flap palatoplasty. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included a cohort of client-owned dogs presented to a single referral hospital (2019 to 2024). All dogs underwent a standardized multilevel surgical approach, including folded-flap palatoplasty, Trader (suture-less) rhinoplasty, ala-vestibuloplasty, and tonsillectomy, as indicated. When available, surgical and anesthetic times and 14-day examinations were recorded. Short-term follow-up was performed at 6 weeks postoperatively with objective functional grading, and long-term follow-up was conducted via a telephone owner questionnaire. RESULTS: 66 dogs met the inclusion criteria. At the 6-week follow-up, significant improvement in brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome functional grades was observed. The mean (± SD) anesthetic time was 84 ± 17.59 minutes. The intraoperative complication rate was 9%. The overall postoperative complication rate was 25.7%, with 19.7% minor complications, no surgical wound complications, and a 6% mortality rate. At a median follow-up of 19 months, 94.3% of owners reported high satisfaction and 86.4% to 92.8% of dogs showed excellent improvement in respiratory and gastrointestinal health. CONCLUSIONS: An acceptable overall complication rate was observed in all patients. No clinically relevant surgical wound breakdowns were observed in any patients. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Needle-tip monopolar electrocautery did not increase the postoperative complication rate or worsen outcomes.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41932356/