Complications of exploratory coeliotomy in 70 cats

Records of all cats that had undergone exploratory coeliotomy at the University of Edinburgh during the period November 1995 to July 2002 were reviewed. Seventy records were retrieved. There were 30 cats in which infection or inflammatory disorders predominated, 17 cats with neoplasia, three cats with trauma and 20 cats with other disorders. Exploratory coeliotomy was performed for diagnostic purposes in 28 cats (40 per cent), treatment in 34 cats (49 per cent) and for diagnosis and treatment in eight cats (11 per cent). Methods of intraoperative diagnosis included incisional biopsy of abdominal organs (52 cats), cytology (two cats), microbiology (17 cats) and gross appearance (17 cats). Fifty-eight cats (83 per cent) survived the hospitalisation period. Complications occurred in 18 cats (26 per cent) and were related to anaesthesia (four cats), the underlying disease process (15 cats), surgery (five cats) and were undetermined in one cat.