Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tracheal hole from suture irritation after dog neck surgery
By Clements, D N et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2003·Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Tracheal perforation secondary to suture irritation in a dog following a ventral slot procedure.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An eight-year-old springer spaniel developed swelling under the skin around the neck, known as subcutaneous emphysema, five days after surgery to relieve pressure on the spine. A closer examination revealed a tear in the trachea caused by irritation from the sutures used during the initial surgery. The vet repaired the tear but the dog returned with the same swelling shortly after. A second surgery used a muscle flap to support the area, and thankfully, the dog recovered well. Ten months later, there were no signs of any further issues.
People also search for: dog neck swelling after surgery · springer spaniel tracheal tear treatment · subcutaneous emphysema in dogs
Abstract
An eight-year-old springer spaniel was presented with acute-onset subcutaneous emphysema of five days' duration. The dog had undergone ventral slot decompression of the C5-C6 intervertebral disc space eight weeks before presentation. Cervical tracheoscopy demonstrated perforation of the dorsal tracheal membrane of the distal cervical trachea. Perforation of the dorsal tracheal membrane secondary to suture knot irritation was confirmed by exploratory surgery. Repair of the perforation was performed by plication of the dorsal tracheal membrane. The dog was re-presented nine days after the initial surgery with acute recurrence of subcutaneous emphysema. Air leakage at the plicated dorsal tracheal membrane was observed at exploratory surgery, and a bipedicle sternothyroideus muscle flap was used to support the plicated membrane. Recovery was uneventful and 10 months postoperatively there had been no recurrence of clinical signs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12866929/