Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgery to ease tricuspid valve blockage in a young dog
By Robertson, S A et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·1999·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Surgical palliation of severe tricuspid valve stenosis in a dog by use of Fontan's procedure.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-month-old female Labrador was diagnosed with tricuspid valve stenosis, which caused her heart to fail and led to fluid buildup in her abdomen. To help her, veterinarians performed a Fontan procedure, which involved connecting her heart's right atrium to the pulmonary artery. After the surgery, her heart pressure improved significantly, and the fluid in her abdomen decreased. Unfortunately, she died suddenly two months later, likely due to heart rhythm problems.
People also search for: dog heart problems treatment · Labrador tricuspid valve stenosis · Fontan procedure for dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe surgical treatment of tricuspid valve stenosis using the Fontan procedure in a young dog. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. SAMPLE POPULATION: One client-owned dog RESULTS: A six month old female Labrador retriever was diagnosed with tricuspid obstruction. The dog had a displaced tricuspid valve and small right ventricle and had progressed to right-sided (backward) cardiac failure. A Fontan procedure (connection of the right atrium to the pulmonary artery with a prosthetic conduit) was performed. Within three days the right atrial pressure had dropped from a preoperative value of 33 mm Hg to 8 mm Hg and the ascites was significantly reduced. The dog died suddenly two months after surgery. Postmortem examination of the heart showed a greatly enlarged right atrium and hypoplastic right ventricle. The tricuspid valve leaflets were fused and displaced ventrally leaving an opening measuring 3x5 mm between the chambers. The conduit was intact with no evidence of leakage or thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: Palliation of tricuspid stenosis using the Fontan procedure can be performed in dogs. Sudden death may occur and is most likely because of cardiac arrythmias.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10493641/