Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Nitinol stents improve breathing in dogs with severe tracheal collapse
By Durant, April M et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2012·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Use of nitinol stents for end-stage tracheal collapse in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old Chihuahua was treated for severe breathing problems caused by tracheal collapse, a condition where the windpipe becomes weak and narrows. The veterinarian placed a nitinol stent (a small support device) in the dog's trachea to help keep it open. After the procedure, the dog's trachea showed improvement in size, and while there were some complications in a few dogs, most owners reported fair to good outcomes. Unfortunately, about 11% of the dogs experienced mortality within 60 days post-treatment.
People also search for: dog tracheal collapse treatment · Chihuahua breathing problems · nitinol stent for dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To report bronchoscopic placement of nitinol stents (Vet Stent-Trachea®) for improvement of end-stage clinical signs in dogs with tracheal collapse. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. SAMPLE POPULATION: Dogs (n = 18). METHODS: Medical records (January 1, 2004-October 31, 2008) were searched for dogs with a diagnosis of tracheal collapse; 18 dogs met inclusion criteria. Tracheal diameter was compared before and after stent deployment. Stent dimensions were compared after stent deployment and at radiographic follow-up. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the minimum tracheal diameter when initial and post deployment tracheal diameters were compared (P = .003). Stent length was significantly shorter at follow-up when compared to post deployment measurements (P = .004). Owner assessment of outcome was available for all dogs with 11.1% mortality within 60 days. Complications were documented in 9 dogs. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a nitinol stent (Vet Stent-Trachea®) in dogs with end-stage tracheal collapse is associated with a fair to good outcome despite significant temporal stent fore shortening after bronchoscopic placement.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22957667/