Experience with video-assisted thoracoscopic placement of pectus excavatum splints in kittens: six cases

This case series aims to describe the use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for the treatment of pectus excavatum.

Six male, intact kittens, with a median age of 3.3 months (range, 2.5 to 4 months) and median weight of 1.75 kg (range, 0.44 to 2 kg), were presented to one of two referral institutions for evaluation of a concave sternal deformity. On presentation the kittens were found to have radiographically moderate (n = 3) to severe (n = 3) pectus excavatum of the caudal sternum with mild to moderate respiratory signs reported at home. Surgical correction included the use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery to facilitate external sternal splint placement. Use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery allowed for direct visualisation of needle passage to place the circumsternal sutures, potentially reducing the risk of complications given the proximity of intrathoracic vasculature and organs.

All patients recovered from anaesthesia uneventfully, and post-operative thoracic radiographs revealed reduction in sternal concavity and increase in thoracic height at the level of the original deformities. One cat suffered respiratory arrest 36 hours post-operatively for unknown reasons.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery-assisted external splint placement for pectus excavatum may help reduce intraoperative risks associated with pectus excavatum repair, though additional research is warranted.