Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat heartworms removed by right atriotomy with venous occlusion
By Iizuka, Tomoya et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2009·Sakata Animal Hospital, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Right atriotomy using total venous inflow occlusion for removal of heartworms in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 13-year-old male cat was brought in with a serious heartworm infection causing caval syndrome, which can lead to severe health issues. The usual method for removing heartworms through the jugular vein wasn't possible due to the cat's small vein size, so the veterinarians performed a surgical procedure called right atriotomy, which involved stopping blood flow to safely remove the heartworms. The surgery was successful, and the cat recovered well from its symptoms. This case shows that this surgical approach can effectively treat heartworm infections in cats.
People also search for: cat heartworm treatment · caval syndrome in cats · heartworm surgery for cats
Abstract
Heartworm infection with caval syndrome was detected in a thirteen-year-old male cat. However, removal of the heartworms via a jugular venotomy was infeasible because the size of the jugular vein limited our ability to use flexible alligator forceps. Therefore, a right atriotomy using total venous inflow occlusion was performed to remove the heartworms. The procedure was accomplished successfully, and the cat recovered from its symptoms. The present case suggests that right atriotomy using venous inflow occlusion is practical for removal and prevention of rupture of heartworms.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19420854/