Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chylothorax after heart vessel surgery in two dogs went away on its
By Barbur, Laura et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2014·Veterinary Teaching Hospital·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Spontaneous resolution of postoperative chylothorax following surgery for persistent right aortic arch in two dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two young dogs developed breathing problems a couple of days after surgery for a heart condition called persistent right aortic arch. They were initially doing well after the surgery, but then showed signs of difficulty breathing and fluid buildup in their chest. The vet diagnosed them with chylothorax, a condition where lymphatic fluid accumulates, and treated them by monitoring the fluid and using a tube to help drain it. Thankfully, both dogs recovered quickly without any further issues.
People also search for: dog breathing problems after surgery · chylothorax treatment in dogs · persistent right aortic arch surgery recovery
Abstract
Two young dogs underwent surgical management of a persistent right aortic arch (PRAA) and developed chylothorax postoperatively. In both cases, the surgical procedure and anesthetic recovery were uncomplicated and routine. Following surgery, both patients appeared bright, alert, responsive, and previous signs of regurgitation had resolved. Dyspnea and tachypnea developed 1-2 days postoperatively in each patient, and chylous effusion was detected on thoracocentesis. For each case, a diagnosis of chylothorax was based on cytology and triglyceride concentrations of the aspirated pleural fluid. Similar protocols for monitoring were used in the treatment of each patient's chylothorax. The duration and volume of chylous effusion production were closely monitored via routine thoracostomy tube aspiration. Both dogs rapidly progressed to recovery with no additional complications. With diligent monitoring, chylothorax secondary to surgical trauma can resolve in a rapid, uncomplicated manner.
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/24659722/