Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with bowel blockage from hairball after intestinal stapling
By Carobbi, Barbara et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2009·Dick White Referrals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Trichobezoar obstruction after stapled jejunal anastomosis in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 11-year-old female Labrador was brought in for signs of bowel obstruction, which included vomiting and lack of appetite. Two years earlier, she had surgery to connect parts of her intestine using a stapling device. After examining her abdomen with X-rays and ultrasound, the vet found a mass causing the blockage. Surgery revealed that the mass was a hairball (trichobezoar) tangled with surgical staples from her previous surgery. The obstruction was treated by removing the affected section of the intestine, and the dog recovered well after the procedure.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe an unusual long-term complication of circular end-to-end anastomosis (CEEA) stapling in a dog. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical case report. ANIMAL: An 11-year-old, female neutered, Labrador Retriever. METHODS: The dog was referred for clinical signs of bowel obstruction. An enterectomy was performed 2 years before presentation using a CEEA stapling device. Palpation, plain radiographs, and ultrasound of the abdomen confirmed the presence of a mass in the bowel, causing obstruction, and requiring surgical approach. RESULTS: An exploratory celiotomy revealed a 5 cm mass in the jejunum, involving the site of the previous surgery. The mass was removed by enterectomy. Dissection of the mass revealed the presence of many staples at the previous enterectomy site, and a trichobezoar entangled in the exposed parts of the staples. CONCLUSIONS: An enterectomy was required to treat an intestinal obstruction caused by a trichobezoar entangled in a CEEA-stapled anastomosis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Development of trichobezoar and subsequent bowel obstruction should be considered an unusual but potential long-term complication of CEEA-stapled anastomosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19573108/