Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Skin flap surgery in dogs and cats - reasons and results
By Jones, Coleen A & Lipscomb, Victoria J·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2019·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Indications, complications, and outcomes associated with subdermal plexus skin flap procedures in dogs and cats: 92 cases (2000-2017).
Plain-English summary
A group of 53 dogs and 20 cats underwent a surgical procedure called a subdermal plexus skin flap (SPSF) to repair skin defects, often due to tumors or wounds. While about half of the pets experienced complications after surgery, most were minor and manageable. Overall, nearly half of the procedures resulted in excellent outcomes, with many pets recovering well after appropriate care. It's important for pet owners to be aware that follow-up visits may be necessary to address any issues that arise post-surgery.
People also search for: dog skin surgery recovery · cat wound repair complications · SPSF procedure outcomes in pets
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe indications, complications, and outcomes associated with subdermal plexus skin flap (SPSF) procedures in dogs and cats. ANIMALS: 53 dogs and 20 cats that received SPSFs for reconstruction of skin defects from 2000 to 2017. PROCEDURES: Medical record data were collected and summarized regarding patient signalment, indication for the SPSF procedure, type and location of SPSF, complications, and outcome. RESULTS: 92 SPSF procedures (64 in dogs and 28 in cats) were included. Indications for the procedures included tumor excision (n = 37 [40%]), acute wound (14 [15%]) or chronic wound (28 [30%]) reconstruction, surgical scar revision (7 [8%]), and other reasons (6 [7%]). Types of SPSFs included advancement (31 [34%]), axillary fold (20 [22%]), inguinal fold (20 [22%]), rotation (16 [17%]), transposition (3 [3%]), and distant direct (2 [2%]). Complications were noted for 47 (51%) procedures at a mean ± SD of 6.9 ± 4.0 days after surgery and were classified as minor (34 [37%]) or major (13 [14%]). Outcome was considered excellent for 44 (48%) procedures, good for 33 (36%), fair for 13 (14%), and poor for 2 (2%). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that approximately half of SPSF procedures in dogs and cats can be expected to be followed by a complication, occurring at a mean of 1 week after surgery, and yet with appropriate management of these complications, a good to excellent outcome was possible. Owners should be counseled about the likely need for additional visits and costs associated with treatment of postoperative complications.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31573867/