Transdiaphragmatic pericardiectomy in dogs

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Surgery
• Cardiology
• Thoracic Surgery

Background:

• Recurrent pericardial effusions in dogs often necessitate pericardiectomy.
• Evaluating surgical approaches for pericardiectomy is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and assess the feasibility of a transdiaphragmatic approach for subtotal pericardiectomy in dogs.
• To compare this approach with a traditional intercostal method.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 20 small (<10 kg) and 20 large (>20 kg) canine cadavers.
• Performed subphrenic pericardiectomy via intercostal and transdiaphragmatic routes.
• Reported a case series of nine client-owned dogs undergoing transdiaphragmatic pericardiectomy.

Main Results:

• Excellent exposure of the pericardium and phrenic nerves was achieved in both cadavers and clinical cases.
• In small dogs, no significant difference in pericardium resection percentage between approaches.
• In large dogs, the transdiaphragmatic approach yielded a higher percentage of resected pericardium compared to the intercostal approach (P=0.001).
• No intraoperative complications or recurrence of pericardial effusion observed in clinical patients.

Conclusions:

• Transdiaphragmatic subtotal pericardiectomy is a straightforward and safe procedure for dogs.
• This technique effectively achieves permanent pericardial drainage for effusions in both small and large breeds.