Resorbable self-locking device for canine lung lobectomy: A clinical and experimental study

To test the feasibility of a resorbable self-locking device for sealing of lung tissue in lung lobectomy in experimental dogs and dogs with pulmonary mass, and to study its resorption with CT.

Experimental study and clinical case series.

Five beagles in the experimental group; six canine patients with a pulmonary mass in the clinical group.

In both groups, an intercostal incision into thorax was performed. A resorbable self-locking device, LigaTie, was applied at the hilum of left cranial lobe in the experimental group and the affected lobe in the clinical group. Each lobe was removed by cutting the tissue just distal to the device. Video-assisted thoracic surgery was used in the experimental group; postoperative diagnostic imaging was repeated monthly until the device was not apparent on CT.

Application of LigaTie was feasible for lung lobectomy in all dogs. The device enabled en bloc ligation of the hilum of the affected lobe including the pulmonary arteries and veins and lobular bronchus. No air leakage from the resection stump was observed in any dog. Trace of the device on CT images gradually decreased and was undetectable at 4 months postoperatively in experimental dogs.

This study suggested that the resorbable self-locking device may be used for sealing of airways in complete lung lobectomy.

The resorbable self-locking device is suggested to be useful for canine lung lobectomy and may facilitate thoracoscopic lung lobectomy. Further investigations on its clinical application in small animal surgery are warranted.