Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Flushing bile duct during gallbladder surgery in dogs and short-term
By Hernon, Tom L et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2023·Small Animal Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: The effect of flushing of the common bile duct on hepatobiliary markers and short-term outcomes in dogs undergoing cholecystectomy for the management of gall bladder mucocele: A randomized controlled prospective study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 32 dogs with gallbladder mucocele (a condition where the gallbladder is filled with mucus) underwent surgery to remove their gallbladders. Some dogs had their common bile duct flushed during the procedure, while others did not. After three days, all dogs showed improvements in liver function markers, but there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding recovery or complications. Overall, the study suggests that flushing the bile duct during this surgery may not provide any additional benefits for dogs.
People also search for: dog gallbladder mucocele treatment · dog liver function test results · gallbladder surgery recovery in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of flushing of the common bile duct (CBD) on hepatobiliary markers and short-term outcome in dogs undergoing cholecystectomy for the management of gallbladder mucocele (GBM). STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, controlled, prospective study. ANIMALS: Thirty-two client-owned dogs. METHODS: Dogs were allocated randomly to either a "flush" group or a "non-flush group." Flushing was performed in a normograde fashion, followed by a routine cholecystectomy. Data collected included presenting clinical signs, preoperative and 3-day postoperative hepatobiliary markers (alkaline phosphatase, ALP; alanine aminotransferase, ALT; gamma glumatyl-transferase, GGT; bilirubin; cholesterol; triglycerides), duration of hospitalization, and complications. These data were compared between groups. RESULTS: Sixteen dogs were enrolled in each group. One dog (in the flush group) was excluded following diagnosis of hepatic lymphoma. Border terriers were overrepresented (20/31). Overall, there were marked reductions from preoperative to 3 days postoperative in serum bilirubin (p = .004), ALP (p = .020), ALT (p < .001), GGT (p = .025), and cholesterol (p < .001) values. There was no difference in any marker between groups. Survival to discharge was 90.3% (28/31 dogs). CONCLUSION: Cholestatic markers decreased significantly 3 days postcholecystectomy. No short-term clinical or clinico-pathological benefits were identified when flushing the CBD in dogs undergoing cholecystectomy for GBM. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The findings of the study do not support routine flushing of the CBD during cholecystectomy for GBM in dogs.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37046382/