Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Post-surgery complications in dogs and cats after ear surgery
By Spivack, Rebecca E et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2013·Department of Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Postoperative complications following TECA-LBO in the dog and cat.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs and cats underwent surgery to remove their ear canals and treat ear infections, but some experienced complications afterward. About 49% of the pets had temporary facial nerve issues, with dogs recovering in about two weeks and cats taking around four weeks. Cats were more likely to develop Horner's syndrome, a condition affecting the eyes and face. Fortunately, most dogs had a shorter recovery time and were less likely to have long-term nerve problems. Overall, while some pets faced challenges after surgery, many were able to recover well.
People also search for: dog ear surgery complications · cat ear canal removal recovery · facial nerve injury in pets · Horner's syndrome in cats · ear infection surgery in dogs
Abstract
The medical records for 133 total ear canal ablations combined with lateral bulla osteotomies (TECA-LBOs) performed on 82 dogs (121 ears) and 11 cats (12 ears) between 2004 and 2010 were reviewed to determine if the duration of preoperative clinical signs was associated with the incidence of postoperative facial nerve injury and Horner's syndrome. Other perioperative complications, such as a head tilt, nystagmus, incisional drainage, draining tracts, hearing loss, as well as bacterial culture results, were noted. Postoperative facial nerve paresis occurred in 36 of 133 ears (27.1%), and paralysis occurred in 29 of 133 ears (21.8%), with no significant difference between species. Thus, postoperative facial nerve deficits occurred in 48.9% of ears. The median duration of clinically evident temporary facial nerve deficits was 2 wk for dogs and 4 wk for cats. Dogs had a significantly longer duration of preoperative clinical signs and were less likely than cats to have a mass in the ear canal. Dogs were less likely to have residual (> 1 yr) postoperative facial nerve deficits. The incidence of postoperative Horner's syndrome was significantly higher in cats than dogs. The duration of preoperative clinical signs of ear disease was not associated with postoperative facial nerve deficits.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23535749/