Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgery fixes fainting and chylothorax in young Labrador
By Tanaka, R et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2006·Department of Veterinary Surgery, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Surgical management of a double-chambered right ventricle and chylothorax in a Labrador retriever.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 22-month-old male Labrador retriever was brought in because he was not eating, had trouble breathing, and was fainting. After tests, the vet found he had a heart defect called a double-chambered right ventricle and a condition where fluid builds up in the chest (chylothorax). The dog underwent surgery to fix the heart issue, which resolved the fainting, but the fluid problem continued. A second procedure involving ligation of the thoracic duct and a shunt helped clear up the fluid buildup.
People also search for: Labrador fainting treatment · dog breathing problems · chylothorax in dogs · double-chambered right ventricle surgery · dog heart defect surgery
Abstract
A 22-month-old, male Labrador retriever was presented with anorexia, dyspnoea, and fainting. The dog was diagnosed with a double-chambered right ventricle and tricuspid valve dysplasia using echocardiography and cardiac catheterisation. A marked bilateral pleural effusion was also present and chemical analysis of the fluid confirmed the diagnosis of chylothorax. Using echocardiography, a pressure gradient of 87.1 mmHg was found between the proximal and distal chambers of the double-chambered right ventricle. Initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass allowed the anomalous muscle bundle that divided the right ventricle into two chambers to be resected via a right ventriculotomy. The fainting completely resolved postoperatively, and this treatment seemed quite effective in the reduction of pressure overload ascribable to ejection disturbance. Because the tricuspid dysplasia was not corrected in the first operation, the postoperative chyle effusion was reduced but did not cease. A combination of thoracic duct ligation and passive pleuroperitoneal shunting was effective in the resolution of the chyle effusion.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16842279/