Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Survival and surgery outcomes for dogs with splenic torsion
By DeGroot, Whitney et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2016·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Primary splenic torsion in dogs: 102 cases (1992-2014).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 102 dogs diagnosed with primary splenic torsion (a twisting of the spleen) underwent surgery, and 91% of them survived to go home. The most affected breeds included German Shepherds, Great Danes, and English Bulldogs. However, some dogs faced serious risks, such as septic peritonitis (infection in the abdomen), bleeding during surgery, and breathing problems after the operation, which could lead to death before discharge. Fortunately, no tumors were found in any of the dogs' spleens, and overall, the outlook for recovery after surgery was good.
People also search for: dog splenic torsion symptoms · German Shepherd surgery recovery · splenectomy complications in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the percentage of dogs surviving to hospital discharge and identify factors associated with death prior to hospital discharge among dogs undergoing surgery because of primary splenic torsion (PST). DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 102 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES: Medical records of dogs with a confirmed diagnosis of PST that underwent surgery between August 1992 and May 2014 were reviewed. History, signalment, results of physical examination and preoperative bloodwork, method of splenectomy, concurrent surgical procedures, perioperative complications, duration of hospital stay, splenic histopathologic findings, and details of follow-up were recorded. Best-fit multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify perioperative factors associated with survival to hospital discharge. RESULTS: 93 of the 102 (91.2%) dogs survived to hospital discharge. German Shepherd Dogs (24/102 [23.5%]), Great Danes (15/102 [14.7%]), and English Bulldogs (12/102 [11.8%]) accounted for 50% of cases. Risk factors significantly associated with death prior to hospital discharge included septic peritonitis at initial examination (OR, 32.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1 to 502.0), intraoperative hemorrhage (OR, 22.6; 95% CI, 1.8 to 289.8), and postoperative development of respiratory distress (OR, 35.7; 95% CI, 2.7 to 466.0). Histopathologic evidence of splenic neoplasia was not found in any case. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that the prognosis for dogs undergoing splenectomy because of PST was favorable. Several risk factors for death prior to discharge were identified, including preexisting septic peritonitis, intraoperative hemorrhage, and postoperative development of respiratory distress.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26953920/