Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Neurological signs and seizures after shunt surgery in 253 dogs
By Strickland, Rhiannon et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2018·Department of Clinical Science and Services, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Incidence and risk factors for neurological signs after attenuation of single congenital portosystemic shunts in 253 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old dog with a congenital portosystemic shunt (a blood vessel issue affecting the liver) was treated with surgery to correct the problem. After the surgery, some dogs, including this one, developed neurological signs and seizures, especially if they had liver issues before the operation or were older. Unfortunately, a few dogs with these complications did not survive. The study found that giving a medication called levetiracetam before surgery did not help prevent these problems. It's important for vets to manage any liver symptoms before surgery to reduce the risk of post-surgery complications.
People also search for: dog seizures after surgery · congenital portosystemic shunt treatment · dog liver disease symptoms · post-surgery complications in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence, outcome, and risk factors for postattenuation neurological signs (PANS) and seizures after attenuation of single congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS) in dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Dogs (N = 253) with single CPSS. METHODS: Medical records of dogs treated by surgical attenuation of a single CPSS between February 2000 and July 2015 were reviewed for signalment and preoperative and postoperative clinical outcomes, including the occurrence of PANS. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression was used to assess risk factors for PANS and for seizures. RESULTS: Twenty-eight (11.1%) dogs developed PANS, including 12 (4.7%) dogs with seizures. Five (17.9%) dogs with PANS did not survive to discharge. Risk factors for PANS included the presence of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) immediately preoperatively (P = .038, odds ratio [OR] 2.704, CI 1.057-6.922) and increasing age (P < .001, OR 1.476, CI 1.223-1.780). Risk factors for seizures included the presence of HE immediately preoperatively (P = .048, OR 3.538, CI 1.013-12.363) and increasing age (P = .009, OR 1.364, CI 1.082-1.720). No association was found between the location of portosystemic shunts (extrahepatic and intrahepatic) and post-operative PANS (P = .532) or seizures (P = .620). Similarly, preemptive administration of levetiracetam did not influence the risk of PANS (P = .991) or seizures (P = .752). CONCLUSION: Preoperative HE and older age in dogs with a CPSS increased the odds of developing PANS and seizures in our population. Preemptive administration of levetiracetam did not protect dogs against the development of PANS or seizures. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Surgical attenuation of a single CPSS should not be excessively delayed, and surgeons should stabilize the clinical signs of HE before surgery to prevent postoperative PANS and seizures.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30084495/