Ventricular arrhythmias in dogs undergoing splenectomy: a prospective study

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Cardiology
• Canine Surgery
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Splenectomy is a common surgical procedure in dogs for various conditions, including splenic masses and torsion.
• Ventricular arrhythmias are a potential complication following splenectomy, but their incidence and detection methods require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias in dogs undergoing splenectomy.
• To determine the relationship between splenic disease, particularly splenic masses, and the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias.
• To compare the efficacy of short-term electrocardiograms (ECGs) with continuous Holter monitoring for detecting these arrhythmias.

Main Methods:

• Fifty dogs undergoing splenectomy were monitored pre- and post-operatively.
• Ventricular arrhythmias were assessed using continuous 48-hour Holter monitoring and compared with 1-minute ECGs recorded every 6 hours (ECGs/q6hr).
• Dogs had splenic masses (n=40), splenic pedicle torsion (n=5), or immune-mediated disease (n=5).

Main Results:

• A high incidence of rapid ventricular tachycardia (22/50 dogs) was detected via Holter monitoring.
• The incidence of rapid ventricular tachycardia was significantly higher in dogs with ruptured splenic masses (16/23) compared to unruptured masses (1/17).
• Short-term ECGs/q6hr proved unreliable in detecting ventricular arrhythmias, with a high rate of false negatives, even in cases with frequent ventricular extrasystoles.

Conclusions:

• Dogs undergoing splenectomy have a significant risk of developing ventricular arrhythmias.
• Ruptured splenic masses are strongly associated with an increased incidence of rapid ventricular tachycardia.
• One-minute ECGs/q6hr are insufficient for reliably detecting ventricular arrhythmias in post-splenectomy dogs.