Veterinary Abstracts

Surgical Considerations

J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1996 Jun 1;208(11):1882-6.
Postoperative complications of elective surgeries in dogs and cats determined by examining electronic and paper medical records.  Pollari FL, Bonnett BN, Bamsey SC, Meek AH,
Allen DG. Department of Population Medicine.

Postoperative complications (POC) that developed in dogs and cats that underwent elective ovariohysterectomy, castration, and declaw at a veterinary teaching hospital were determined by examining the computerized abstracts of the medical records and by examining a random sample of the paper medical records. When the computerized abstracts were examined, POC were found to have occurred in 62 (6.1%) of 1,016 dogs. One dog died and 6 others developed major complications. Postoperative complications were found to have occurred in 38 (2.6%) of 1,459 cats. Two cats died and 1 was euthanatized. Four other cats developed major complications. Complete paper medical records for 218 dogs and cats were examined. When the paper medical records were examined, the proportions of dogs and cats with POC were 19.4% and 12.2%, respectively. These proportions were 4 to 7 times higher than when the computerized abstracts were the data source. Results of this study indicate that the frequency of clinically relevant POC of elective surgeries in dogs and cats is substantial. Examination of the computerized abstracts of medical records at this hospital allowed us to rapidly identify cases that could be included in the study but the frequency of POC would be significantly underestimated if paper records were not also assessed.

PMID: 8675479 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Vet Rec. 2005 Dec 24-31;157(26):829-33.
Complications observed during and after ovariohysterectomy of 142 bitches at a veterinary teaching hospital.  Burrow R, Batchelor D, Cripps P. Small Animal Hospital, Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L7 7EX, UK.

The clinical, anaesthetic and surgical records of 142 bitches admitted into the primary care clinic at the Small Animal Hospital, University of Liverpool, between January 2002 and August 2004 for routine ovariohysterectomy by final-year students were analysed for complications during and after the surgery. The time taken to perform the surgical procedure was recorded, to allow assessment of the time involved in one-to-one surgical teaching during live-recovery surgeries of client-owned pets. The types of complications were similar to those reported in earlier studies: nine bitches suffered haemorrhage of the ovarian arteries during surgery, and there were four cases of haemorrhage after surgery, 12 cases of wound inflammation and four other types of complication. The rates of intraoperative, postoperative and total complications were 6.3, 14.1 and 20.6 per cent, respectively.

PMID: 16377787 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Can Vet J. 2007 Feb;48(2):169-77.
Prevalence of perioperative arrhythmias in 50 young, healthy dogs.
Duerr FM, Carr AP, Duke T, Shmon CL, Monnet E.
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. fduerr@colostate.edu

The objective of this study was to assess the type and frequency of cardiac dysrhythmias occurring after routine ovariohysterectomy or orchidectomy in young, healthy dogs by using 2 anesthetic protocols (group I: propofol and isoflurane; group II: thiopental and halothane). Fifty dogs under 2 years of age, judged to be clinically normal by physical examination and standard electrocardiography, were evaluated by using 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography. The most common dysrhythmias in the postoperative period were 2nd degree atrioventricular block (44%), ventricular premature complexes (44%), and atrial premature complexes (32%). For study purposes, more than 100 ventricular or atrial premature complexes per 24 hours, or any occurrence of R-on-T phenomenon, ventricular or atrial tachycardia were classified as clinically significant arrhythmias. Significant arrhythmias were observed in 9 dogs in the postoperative period, 5 of which were in group I and 4 in group II. All of these dogs were under 1 year of age. The R-on-T phenomenon occurred in 4 dogs in group II and 1 dog in group I. Results from this study show that significant arrhythmias, including R-on-T phenomenon, can occur in the perioperative period in young, healthy dogs undergoing routine surgeries with both protocols used.

PMID: 17334031 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Tierarztl Prax Ausg K Klientiere Heimtiere. 1997 Nov;25(6):637-42.
Pediatric and geriatric small animal patients as risk groups in anesthesia management
Kramer S.  Klinik fur kleine Haustiere, Tierarztlichen Hochschule Hannover.

In the first 12 weeks of postnatal life puppies and kittens are defined by the term pediatric, because of their immature organ systems. In anaesthesiology they are considered as high risk patients. Dogs and cats can be defined by the term geriatric when they have completed 80% of their expected life spans. These patients show age-related decline in organ functions or in their mechanisms of compensation. Physiological and pathophysiological characteristics of pediatric and geriatric patients are discussed and principles of the perioperative anaesthetic management and of pediatric and geriatric anaesthetic techniques are given.

PMID: 9459830 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]