Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pain and recovery after muscle-sparing vs traditional chest surgery
By Yoon, Hun-Young et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary science·2015·Department of Veterinary Surgery, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Intercostal thoracotomy in 20 dogs: muscle-sparing versus traditional techniques.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 20 dogs underwent surgery called intercostal thoracotomy, which involves opening the chest to access organs. Some dogs had a traditional surgical method, while others had a newer muscle-sparing technique. The dogs that had the muscle-sparing surgery experienced significantly less pain in the week following the procedure compared to those who had the traditional method. Both techniques took about the same time to perform and allowed the surgeon to access the necessary organs effectively. Overall, the muscle-sparing approach led to a more comfortable recovery for the dogs.
People also search for: dog chest surgery recovery · intercostal thoracotomy pain management · muscle-sparing surgery for dogs
Abstract
The levels of pain, duration of approaching and closure, and surgical exposure associated with intercostal thoracotomy were compared between muscle-sparing and traditional techniques in 20 dogs. Postoperative pain was assessed based on numerical pain scores using behavioral observation, heart rate, respiratory rate, and wound palpation. Time for approaching and closure were measured, and the extent of intrathoracic organ exposure for the surgical procedures was described for each technique. There were significant differences in numerical pain scores at 2 h as well as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 days after surgery between the two groups (p < 0.0001). There was no significant (p = 0.725) difference in times for approaching and closure between the two groups. Compared to the traditional method, the muscle-sparing technique also achieved the desired exposure without compromising exposure of the target organs. Our results suggest that the muscle-sparing technique is more effective than the traditional method for providing a less painful recovery during the first 7 days after intercostal thoracotomy. Additionally, the muscle-sparing technique is as effective as the traditional modality for providing an appropriate time for approaching and closure during intercostal thoracotomy as well as adequate organ exposure for the surgical procedures.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25798045/