Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Closed suction drain cured elbow hygroma in St. Bernard dog
By Pavletic, M M & Brum, D E·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2015·Angell Animal Medical Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Successful closed suction drain management of a canine elbow hygroma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old male St. Bernard was brought in with fluid-filled swellings called hygromas on both elbows, which had been there for several weeks. The vet used a closed suction drain on the larger hygroma on the left elbow for three weeks to help it heal, while also providing soft bedding to prevent further injury. After the drain was removed, the hygroma did not come back over the next 18 months, although the smaller one on the right elbow did get a bit bigger. This method was effective and easier than other options that require more care after surgery.
People also search for: dog elbow hygroma treatment · St. Bernard elbow swelling · closed suction drain for dogs
Abstract
A 1-year-old castrated male St. Bernard dog presented to Angell Animal Medical Center with bilateral elbow hygromas which had been present for several weeks. The largest hygroma involving the left elbow was managed with a closed suction (active) drain system to continuously collapse the hygroma pocket over a 3-week period. Soft bedding was used to protect the elbows from further impact trauma to the olecranon areas. Following drain removal, there was no evidence of hygroma recurrence based on periodic examinations over an 18-month period. The smaller non-operated right elbow hygroma had slightly enlarged during this period. Closed suction drain management of the hygroma proved to be a simple and economical method of collapsing the left elbow hygroma. This closed drainage system eliminated the need for the postoperative bandage care required with the use of the Penrose (passive) drain method of managing elbow hygromas. The external drain tube should be adequately secured in order to minimise the risk of its inadvertent displacement.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25640711/