Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog chest bone closed with special suture after thymus tumor surgery
By Park, Songju et al.·Published in Veterinary Sciences·2026·Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120, Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea, South Korea·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Median Sternotomy Closure Using an Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Suture Following Thymectomy in a Dog: A Case Report
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old male Chihuahua was brought in for a worsening cough that had lasted five months. After tests showed a mass in his chest, the vet performed surgery to remove the thymic tumor. They used a special non-absorbable suture to close his chest after the tumor was taken out. The dog recovered well and was discharged three days later, with his coughing improving during follow-up visits. X-rays taken later showed no complications or signs of the tumor returning.
People also search for: Chihuahua cough treatment · dog thymoma surgery · dog chest surgery recovery
Abstract
A 10-year-old castrated male Chihuahua weighing 3.06 kg was presented with a chronic, progressively worsening cough of five months’ duration. Diagnostic imaging, including thoracic radiography and computed tomography, identified a well-defined cranial mediastinal mass consistent with a thymic tumor. Surgical excision was performed via median sternotomy with complete thymectomy. Following tumor removal, sternal closure was achieved using a non-absorbable ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) suture material (FiberWire®, Arthrex, Naples, FL, USA). Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of an epithelial-predominant thymoma with narrow but complete surgical margins. Postoperative recovery was uneventful, and the dog was discharged three days after surgery. Clinical signs, including coughing, progressively improved during follow-up. Radiographic evaluation performed up to postoperative day 57 demonstrated stable sternal alignment without evidence of dehiscence, implant-related complications, or disease recurrence. This report describes the first clinical case of FiberWire use for median sternotomy closure following thymectomy in a dog. The favorable clinical and radiographic outcomes observed during postoperative follow-up suggest that FiberWire may represent a viable alternative to traditional stainless-steel wire for sternal fixation in canine thoracic surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13040311