Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Minimally invasive spleen removal in cats has low complication rates
By Fairfield, Danielle K et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2024·Ontario Veterinary College, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Minimally invasive splenectomy is associated with a low perioperative complication rate and short operative time in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 17 cats underwent minimally invasive surgery to remove their spleens, often due to issues like splenomegaly (enlarged spleen) or splenic masses. The surgeries were quick, taking around 35 to 50 minutes, and most cats had no serious complications. Only one cat had a minor issue during surgery, but all except one cat were able to go home after the procedure. Follow-up showed that most of the cats were doing well months later, with many still alive after 180 days. This type of surgery is considered safe and effective for treating spleen-related problems in cats.
People also search for: cat spleen surgery recovery · minimally invasive splenectomy cats · cat splenomegaly treatment
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report the perioperative outcome and complications in cats undergoing minimally invasive splenectomy. ANIMALS: 17 client-owned cats. METHODS: Perioperative data were collected from cats undergoing minimally invasive splenectomy from September 2010 to June 2023. Data included history, signalment, preoperative examination and diagnostic testing results, operative technique and time, perioperative outcomes, complications, hospitalization duration, histopathological diagnosis, and outcome. RESULTS: 13 spayed females and 4 neutered males were included, with a median age of 144 months (48 to 196 months). Seven cats underwent total laparoscopic splenectomy (TLS), with 1 cat requiring conversion from TLS to laparoscopic-assisted splenectomy (LAS) due to splenomegaly and an additional cat requiring conversion from TLS to open splenectomy due to uncontrollable splenic capsular hemorrhage. Ten cats underwent LAS, with 1 cat requiring conversion to open splenectomy due to splenomegaly. Additional procedures were performed in 13 cats, with the most common being liver biopsy in 10 cats. Median operative times were 50 minutes (45 to 90 minutes) for TLS and 35 minutes (25 to 80 minutes) for LAS. An intraoperative complication occurred in 1 cat. All but 1 cat survived to discharge. Median follow-up time was 234 days (18 to 1,761 days), with 15 of 16 cats confirmed alive at 30 days and 9 of 16 cats alive at 180 days postoperatively. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Minimally invasive splenectomy in this cohort of cats was associated with short operative times and a low perioperative complication rate. Veterinary surgeons may consider minimally invasive splenectomy as an efficient and feasible technique in the treatment of splenomegaly or modestly sized splenic masses for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38324998/