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Catheter-guided percutaneous heartworm removal using a nitinol basket in dogs with caval syndrome
Won-Kyoung Yoon1, Donghyun Han, Changbaig Hyun
1Section of Small Animal Internal Medicine, and Institute of Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Korea.
Insights
A new catheter-guided technique effectively removed heartworms from the vena cava in dogs with caval syndrome. This method improved worm retrieval success, offering a promising treatment for severe heartworm disease.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Cardiology
- Parasitology
Background:
- Caval syndrome, a severe heartworm infection, involves worm migration to the right atrium and vena cava, causing diverse clinical signs.
- Current mechanical worm removal methods have variable success rates and complication risks dependent on technique and devices.
Observation:
- A novel catheter-guided retrieval basket was developed for heartworm removal.
- This device facilitates access to pulmonary arteries, aiming to increase worm removal efficiency per procedure.
Findings:
- The developed catheter-guided method successfully treated four dogs diagnosed with caval syndrome.
- This technique demonstrated effective mechanical removal of heartworms from the vena cava and right atrium.
Implications:
- This approach offers a potentially safer and more effective interventional option for managing severe heartworm cases.
- Further research could refine this technique for broader application in veterinary cardiology and parasitology.
- Improved outcomes in caval syndrome cases can enhance canine patient survival and quality of life.
Abstract:
Carval syndrome is a severe heartworm infection where the worms have migrated to the right atrium and vena cava; this condition is associated with a myriad of clinical signs. Several non-surgical and interventional methods are currently used for mechanical worm removal. However, the success rate and complications related to these methods are heavily dependent on methodology and retrieval devices used. In this study, we developed a catheter-guided heartworm removal method using a retrieval basket that can easily access pulmonary arteries and increase the number of worms removed per procedure. With this technique, we successfully treated four dogs with caval syndrome.
