Folded-flap palatoplasty performed with a needle-tip monopolar cautery: retrospective cohort of 66 brachycephalic dogs.

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.