Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgery outcomes for cats with thoracolumbar disc disease
By Fowler, Kayla M et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2022·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences - Neurology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Outcome of thoracolumbar surgical feline intervertebral disc disease.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 35 cats with difficulty walking due to intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) in the spine underwent surgery to relieve pressure on their nerves. Most of these cats showed significant improvement after surgery, with 62.5% doing well at discharge and 91.3% showing further recovery at a follow-up visit two weeks later. The surgery was performed on various locations in the spine, with the most common being between the sixth and seventh lumbar vertebrae. Overall, the cats had a good chance of recovery regardless of how severe their condition was when they first presented to the vet.
People also search for: cat walking problems · feline intervertebral disc disease surgery · cat back surgery recovery
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome and prognosis of thoracolumbar feline intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) treated by surgical decompression. METHODS: This was a multi-institutional retrospective study evaluating the age, breed, sex, body weight, presenting complaint, neuroanatomic diagnosis at presentation, diagnostic imaging results, surgery performed and the overall outcome at discharge and at recheck. Bivariable associations between variables were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test (age and grade of IVDD at presentation) and Fisher's exact test (grade of IVDD at presentation and outcome). RESULTS: A total of 35 cats met the inclusion criteria for the study. The most frequently reported clinical sign was difficulty walking (54.2%). The majority of cats presented with an L4-S3 localization (57%). The most common site of intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) was at L6-L7 (34%). The majority of feline patients that received surgery had a positive outcome at the time of discharge (62.5%; n = 20/32) and at the time of the 2-week recheck (91.3%; n = 21/23). No association was identified between the age of the patient and the grade of IVDD. No association was identified between the presenting grade of IVDD and the clinical outcome at the time of discharge or at the time of recheck evaluation. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Cats undergoing spinal decompressive surgery for thoracolumbar IVDH appear to have a favorable prognosis independent of the initial presenting grade of IVDD. A larger sample size and a longer length of follow-up is necessary to obtain statistical associations between the presenting grade of IVDD and overall clinical outcome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34251296/