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Updated: Jul 23, 2026
Angiogenesis in the Ischemic Rat Lung
Published on: February 8, 2013
Short-term outcomes of dogs and cats undergoing lung lobectomy using either a self-ligating loop or a
Daniel M Sandoval1, Daniel Stobie1, Dominick M Valenzano2
1NorthStar VETS, Robbinsville, New Jersey, USA.
Objective:
To assess clinical outcomes of lung lobectomies in dogs and cats using either self-ligating loops (SLLs) or thoracoabdominal (TA) staplers, aiming to inform sample size calculations for future superiority trials.
Study Design:
Retrospective study.
Animals:
A total of 72 dogs and 15 cats.
Methods:
Records from January 2003 to October 2023 at a single institution were reviewed. Cases with lung lobectomy performed via TA stapler or SLL with a minimum 14-day postoperative follow-up were included. Pre-, intra-, and postoperative data were collected, with outcomes of interest including the frequency of intra- and postoperative complications. Outcome comparisons between techniques were performed to inform sample size calculations.
Results:
A total of 101 lung lobectomies were performed. The TA stapler was used in 83 (82.2%) and the SLL in 18 (17.8%) lung lobectomies. Intraoperative complications were identified in 14/101 lung lobectomies (13.9%), including intraoperative hemorrhage in 12/101 lobectomies (11.8%) and air leakage in 2/101 lobectomies (1.9%). Postoperative complications were identified in 12/87 cases (13.8%), including 4 (4.6%) catastrophic complications and 5 (5.8%) major complications. All intra- and postoperative complications occurred in cases having undergone stapled lung lobectomy; however, no differences were identified between surgical technique and either intraoperative (p = .069) or postoperative complications (p = .112). A sample size of 103 lobectomies per technique group would be required for appropriate evaluation.
Conclusion:
Lung lobectomy using either surgical technique provided a good short-term outcome in this population.
Clinical Significance:
Self-ligating loop lung lobectomy provided a comparable alternative to stapled lung lobectomy. Further studies are needed to assess technique superiority.
