Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Life-threatening anesthesia problems in cats during bile duct surgery
By Monticelli, Paolo et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2017·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Life-threatening perianaesthetic complications in five cats undergoing biliary tract surgery: case series and literature review.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Five cats undergoing surgery for gallbladder issues experienced serious complications during and after their procedures. These cats had a history of pancreatitis, and during surgery, they developed dangerously low blood pressure that didn't improve with standard treatments. After surgery, some also faced kidney failure. The veterinarians noted that using a special oxygen-carrying solution might help in cases where typical treatments for low blood pressure aren't effective. It's important for pet owners to be aware that while gallbladder surgery can be necessary, it does carry risks that should be discussed with their veterinarian.
Abstract
Case series summary The aim of this case series was to describe the intra- and early postanaesthetic complications occurring in five cats undergoing major surgeries involving the gallbladder and the biliary tree. The five cases of this series were admitted to the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals between June and December 2015, and were all overseen by the same senior anaesthesist. Pre-existing pancreatitis was a common finding. Observed life-threatening events were persistent, unresponsive hypotension in the absence of major blood loss, which occurred mainly during surgical manipulation of the biliary tract, and postoperative renal failure. Relevance and novel information Biliary surgery carries the potential for life-threatening complications in cats. The pathogenesis of such morbidities is likely to be multifactorial. The perianaesthetic use of haemoglobin-based oxygen-carrying solution may be considered as an alternative treatment option when hypotension is unresponsive to fluids and traditional positive inotropes and vasopressors.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27099297/