Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Outcomes of foramen magnum decompression surgery in dogs
By Ortinau, Nora et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2015·The Veterinary Specialty Center and Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Foramen magnum decompression surgery in 23 Chiari-like malformation patients 2007-2010: outcomes and owner survey results.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 23 small dogs, mostly Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, were treated for Chiari-like malformation (a brain condition) and syringomyelia (fluid-filled cavities in the spinal cord) through a surgery called foramen magnum decompression. After the surgery, all dogs showed improvement in their symptoms, and most owners reported a better quality of life for their pets. None of the dogs needed further surgery, and the positive effects lasted for at least a year. This suggests that the surgery, along with medical treatment, can significantly help dogs suffering from these conditions.
People also search for: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Chiari malformation surgery · dog syringomyelia treatment · foramen magnum decompression outcomes
Abstract
Chiari-like malformation (CLM) with syringomyelia (SM) in dogs is particularly prominent in the Cavalier King Charles spaniel breed, but has also been reported in several other small breed dogs. Over a period of 3 years, 23 canine patients were treated surgically for CLM-SM. Surgery consisted of foramen magnum decompression, durotomy, duraplasty, and free autogenous adipose tissue grafting (fat graft). All patients were re-evaluated clinically at least 1 month after surgery and some up to 3 years after surgery. Improvement was noted on all clinical evaluations. A questionnaire was mailed to all 23 owners after a period of at least 1 year after surgery. Seventeen surveys were returned. No patient has required additional surgery to date, 94% (16/17) had some improvement in quality of life after surgery, and none were judged to deteriorate to less than the pre-surgical status. The authors conclude that this surgical procedure, combined with medical therapy, resulted in favorable long-term outcomes.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25750451/