Association between divisional location and short-term outcome of liver mass resection in 124 dogs

To evaluate the association between divisional location of liver masses on short-term outcomes after surgical excision.

Retrospective case series.

Client-owned dogs (n = 124).

Records were reviewed for demographics, surgical findings, and outcomes. The associations between mass location and mortality, intraoperative complications, and postoperative complications were tested with multivariable logistic regression models.

Liver masses (124) were more common in the left (72) division than the central (34) and right (18) divisions. Median follow up was 286 (range: 14 to 2043) days. Intraoperative complications occurred in 14/124 dogs (11.3%) and postoperative complications in 35/122 dogs (28.7%). No association was detected between mass location and mortality in 8/124 dogs (6.5%). Postoperative complications were more likely if the incision extended to the thorax (P < .001), which was more common during resection of right divisional masses (P = .020). Postoperative complications were less likely when surgery was performed with a thoracoabdominal (TA) stapler (P = .005), by a specialist surgeon (P = .033), and in heavier dogs (P = .027). The odds of intraoperative complications were 19 times higher when surgery was performed without a TA stapler (P = .006). Intraoperative complications were less commonly associated with left (P = .007), but not central (P = .0504) divisional masses than right divisional masses.

Right divisional masses were prone to intraoperative but not postoperative complications.

Clinicians should anticipate an increased risk of intraoperative complications when planning treatment of right divisional masses.