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Staged double-layer closure of palatal defects in 6 dogs
Santiago Peralta1, Ana Nemec, Nadine Fiani
1Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Objective:
To report a staged approach that includes selective dental extractions before definitive double-layer hard palate defect closure in dogs.
Study Design:
Retrospective case series.
Animals:
Dogs (n = 6) with a palatal defect.
Methods:
Dogs had selective maxillary teeth extractions 4-8 weeks before definitive hard palate defect repair by double-layer local full-thickness mucosal flaps.
Results:
All palatal defects were considered complex. Complete hard palate closure was achieved after initial attempt in 3 dogs; 2 dogs had revision surgery before complete closure, and in 1 dog, closure failed and further treatment was declined. No complications or long-term consequences were associated with selective dental extractions.
Conclusions:
Selective dental extractions before definitive surgical repair using mucosal flaps in a double-layer approach is an effective alternative when treating complex hard palate defects in dogs.
