Surgery to fix sunken chest in an 8-week-old kitten

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe the practicality and utility of performing corrective surgery for pectus excavatum (PE) while guided by a minimally invasive small gauge needle-scope in a kitten. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. ANIMAL: An 8-week-old, 0.8 kg, male intact, domestic short hair cat. METHODS: Bloodwork, radiography, surgical report, and postoperative records of a kitten severely affected with PE were reviewed and reported. The kitten underwent thoracoscopic guided surgical correction of PE using a small gauge needle-scope to aid in visualization. Surgical treatment of this kitten included the use of a small gauge needle-scope for video-assisted thoracoscopy which provided direct visualization for passage of sutures into the thoracic cavity and around sternebrae which were then secured to an external splinting device. RESULTS: The patient recovered uneventfully with clinical improvements at both 2- and 6-weeks postoperatively. Five month postoperative follow-up with the owner revealed no evidence of respiratory signs. CONCLUSION: The use of a small gauge needle-scope provided excellent visualization for safe suture passage for external splinting in a pediatric feline patient with severe PE. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: For small pediatric felines, a small gauge needle-scope can be used for thoracoscopic visualization of suture passage for external splinting for PE. Direct visualization of suture placement may minimize the risk of intraoperative complications in animals with moderate to severe PE with limited working space.