Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Stent treatment for severe pulmonic valve narrowing in dogs
By Sosa, I et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary cardiology : the official journal of the European Society of Veterinary Cardiology·2019·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Stent angioplasty for treatment of canine valvular pulmonic stenosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old Labrador, a 7-year-old Beagle, and two other dogs were diagnosed with severe breathing problems due to a narrowed heart valve (pulmonic stenosis). They underwent a procedure to place stents in the affected area, which helped reduce pressure and improved their activity levels right away. While three of the dogs are doing well months later, one dog experienced complications with the stent and unfortunately passed away after a second surgery. This case suggests that stent angioplasty can be a helpful treatment for dogs with this heart condition, especially when other methods don't work.
People also search for: dog breathing problems treatment · pulmonic stenosis in dogs · stent surgery for dogs · dog heart valve treatment · Labrador breathing issues
Abstract
Four dogs presented for evaluation and treatment of severe pulmonic valve stenosis and underwent stenting of the pulmonic valve annulus using bare-metal balloon-expandable stents. All dogs survived the procedure with immediate reduction of the transpulmonary valve pressure gradient and increase in activity levels. One dog had a stent fracture and migration 1 month after the intervention. This dog underwent a second procedure, in which multiple stents were used to alleviate the obstruction. The stents that were placed at the level of the right ventricular outflow tract fractured within 1 month of the procedure, and the patient died when a third (surgical) approach was attempted. The other three dogs remain alive 54, 42, and 29 months after the procedure. Stent angioplasty may be a viable option for dogs with valvular pulmonic stenosis in which routine balloon valvuloplasty does not provide a successful outcome. Aggressive attempts to diminish RVOT dynamic obstruction with high-dose beta blockade and avoiding deployment of the stent within the RVOT are recommended to prevent stent fracture and migration.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30797444/