Bipolar device used for spleen surgery in dogs and cat

Abstract

Based on splenic abnormalities noted during surgery, four client-owned animals (three dogs, one cat) undergoing exploratory laparotomy were identified as candidates for partial splenectomy. In three cases, small mass lesions of the spleen were identified on elective exploratory laparotomy. In one case, the patient was referred for emergency surgery for diaphragmatic hernia with entrapment of stomach and spleen. The discovery of avulsion of a significant portion of the splenic mesentery led to the decision to perform partial splenectomy in this case. All animals included in the study underwent partial splenectomy by one of two board-certified veterinary surgeons at a multispecialty hospital between 2014 and 2018. The same type of bipolar vessel-sealing device was used in each surgery, and three of four partial splenectomy cases recovered uneventfully. One patient went into cardiopulmonary arrest hours after surgery and died; however, this is not suspected to be due to the described partial splenectomy technique. The bipolar vessel-sealing device is suitable for use in resection of the splenic parenchyma in some canine and feline patients. This technique is designed to decrease surgical time, provide effective hemostasis, and preserve the important functions of the spleen that are lost when total splenectomy is undertaken.