Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Laparoscopic surgery to fix a liver blood vessel shunt in a dog
By Park, Jiyoung et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2022·Department of Veterinary Surgery, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Laparoscopic attenuation of a congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt in a dog-a thin-film banding for splenophrenic shunt: A case report.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old male Shih-Tzu was brought in for frequent urination and dribbling. He had a history of bladder stones and tests showed high ammonia levels in his blood, indicating liver issues. A special scan revealed a shunt vessel causing these problems. The vet performed a laparoscopic surgery to close the shunt using a thin-film band, and the dog recovered well without any complications. Over the next 14 months, follow-up scans showed the shunt was completely closed, and the dog remained healthy for over 2.5 years after the surgery without needing a special diet.
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Abstract
A 6-year-old castrated male Shih-Tzu dog weighing 6. 5 kg presented with chief complaints of pollakiuria and urine dribbling. He had a history of urolithiasis for 3 years, which was confirmed by the presence of ammonium urate in the urinary stone analysis, performed 2 years prior to the presentation. Blood examination showed high values of fasting ammonia, post-prandial bile acid, and low blood urea nitrogen. Microhepatica and urolithiasis were identified on plain radiography and ultrasonography. A computed tomography angiography demonstrated a shunting vessel, diameter up to 9.6 mm, originated from the splenic vein, and linked with the phrenic vein. A surgical attenuation with a thin-film banding was performed under laparoscopic visualization. Left triangular ligament was incised, and one stay suture was placed to the stomach to expose the vessel. The shunting vessel was dissected before it entered the diaphragm, and a thin-film band was applied around the vessel. The patient recovered uneventfully without post-attenuation neurologic signs. Portal vein diameter increased with time, and complete closure of the shunting vessel was identified on computed tomography angiography performed at 14 months after attenuation. The patient was doing well for 31 months after surgery without protein restriction. This is a report of laparoscopic attenuation for splenophrenic type of canine congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt with a favorable outcome using thin-film banding.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36225798/