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Surgical closure of an atrial septal defect using cardiopulmonary bypass in a cat
Masami Uechi1, Kayoko Harada, Takahiro Mizukoshi
1Veterinary Cardiovascular Medicine and Surgery Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kanagawa, Japan. estebanpujol@gmail.com
Insights
Surgical repair of large atrial septal defects (ASD) in cats is possible using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) grafts during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). This technique offers a viable treatment for complex cardiac conditions in feline patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Veterinary Surgery
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Atrial septal defects (ASDs) are congenital heart abnormalities.
- Large ASDs can lead to significant hemodynamic alterations in cats.
- Surgical intervention for large ASDs in felines presents unique challenges.
Observation:
- A case report details the surgical correction of a 10.2-mm ASD in a 3-year-old cat.
- The repair utilized an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) graft.
- Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was employed, with techniques to minimize priming volume and avoid hemodilution.
Findings:
- The surgical repair was successful, with the graft remaining intact at 1-year follow-up.
- The cat remained alive and medication-free at 3 years post-surgery.
- The procedure demonstrated the feasibility of open-heart surgery for large ASDs in cats.
Implications:
- This study highlights a successful surgical strategy for large atrial septal defects in cats.
- Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) grafts are effective for ASD repair in feline patients.
- Minimally invasive CPB techniques can be adapted for feline cardiac surgery.
Objective:
To describe surgical repair of a large atrial septal defect (ASD) in a cat.
Study Design:
Clinical report.
Animal:
A 3-year-old, 3.3 kg, intact male Japanese domestic short-haired cat.
Methods:
A 10.2-mm-diameter ASD detected by echocardiography was surgically corrected because pulmonary vascular resistance-to-systemic vascular resistance ratio (Qp /Qs ) was 3.2. Using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), open surgical repair was achieved with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) graft. The priming volume of the CPB circuit was minimized by cutting the CPB tubing, and partially replacing the priming fluid with whole cat blood. To prevent hemodilution associated with use of cardioprotective agents, surgery was performed on the beating heart.
Results:
At 1-year echocardiographic evaluation, the repair was intact, and at 3 years, the cat was alive without need of medication.
Conclusions:
Large ASD in a cat can be repaired using e-PTFE under CPB.
