Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Outcomes and complications of soft palate surgery
By Himel, Cameron J et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2023·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Staphylectomy in nonbrachycephalic dogs: A retrospective study of 27 cases.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 27 non-brachycephalic dogs with noisy breathing and difficulty breathing underwent a surgery called staphylectomy to correct elongated soft palates. Most dogs had a technique called sharp excision, and while some experienced minor complications like vomiting and coughing afterward, none needed serious interventions like oxygen therapy. Overall, the surgery was well-tolerated, and the dogs showed improvement in their breathing issues. This suggests that non-brachycephalic dogs can also suffer from elongated soft palates and benefit from surgical treatment.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report the outcomes and complications associated with staphylectomy in nonbrachycephalic dogs. ANIMAL: Twenty-seven nonbrachycephalic dogs with elongated soft palates and undergoing staphylectomy. PROCEDURE: Retrospective study. RESULTS: Increased upper airway noise (70.4%) and dyspnea (44.4%) were the most common presenting clinical signs. Concurrent upper airway abnormalities found in the study population included laryngeal collapse (25.9%) and laryngeal paralysis (14.8%). The most common staphylectomy technique used in this study was sharp excision (66.7%) with sutured oral and nasal mucosal apposition. The dogs in this study had an overall minor postoperative complication rate of 33.3%, with regurgitation/vomiting (11.1%) and coughing (11.1%) occurring most commonly. No dog required supplemental oxygen therapy or temporary tracheostomy. CONCLUSION: Staphylectomy was well-tolerated in nonbrachycephalic dogs and was associated with a relatively low rate of complications. Concurrent airway abnormalities were common among nonbrachycephalic dogs with elongated soft palates, similar to brachycephalic dogs. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Clinicians should be aware that elongated soft palate can occur in nonbrachycephalic dogs, and surgical correction can be achieved with rare major or catastrophic complications.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37529396/