Repair of double-chambered right ventricle using right ventricular outflow chamber ventriculotomy via left intercostal thoracotomy under beating heart in two dogs

Double-chambered right ventricle was diagnosed in two dogs, one of them a pup and the other full grown. Both dogs underwent surgery using the novel approach of right ventricular outflow chamber ventriculotomy via left intercostal thoracotomy with moderate hypothermia and moderate pump flow cardiopulmonary bypass under beating heart. No major complication occurred during and after the operation. On continuous wave Doppler echocardiography, the pressure gradient across the stenosis in the right ventricle decreased from 130 mmHg pre-operatively to 40 mmHg post-operatively at 1 year 5 months in the adult dog, and from 209 mmHg pre-operatively to 47 mmHg post-operatively at 1 year in the pup. Both dogs are active without clinical signs

Clinical outcome of canine cardiopulmonary resuscitation following the RECOVER clinical guidelines at a Japanese nighttime animal hospital

A set of evidence-based consensus guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in dogs and cats (RECOVER guidelines) was published in 2012. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical outcomes of CPR performed according to those guidelines in dogs. A total of 141 dogs with cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) were identified and underwent CPR between January 2012 and December 2015 at the Sapporo Nighttime Animal Hospital. CPR was performed according to no-consensus traditional veterinary CPR procedures in 68 dogs (TRADITIONAL group), and according to the RECOVER guidelines in 73 dogs (RECOVER group). There was no significant difference in the age, body weight, or time from CPA identification to initiation of CPR between the TRADITIONAL and RECOVER groups (median [range]: 10 [0-16] vs. 11 [0-16] years; 6.6 [1.0-58.6] vs. 5.5 [1.1-30.4] kg; and 0 [0-30] vs. 0 [0-30] min, respectively). In the TRADITIONAL group, 12 dogs (17%) achieved a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), but none survived to hospital discharge. However, 32 dogs (43%) in the RECOVER group achieved ROSC, and 4 dogs (5%) were discharged from the hospital. Incorporating the RECOVER guidelines into clinical practice significantly improved the ROSC rate (P<0.001). However, the rate of survival to hospital discharge was still low. This may suggest that a superior intensive care unit that provides advanced post-CPA care could benefit veterinary CPR patients

Treatment of severe mitral regurgitation caused by lesions in both leaflets using multiple mitral valve plasty techniques in a small dog

Mitral valve plasty (MVP) is preferred over mitral valve replacement (MVR) for mitral regurgitation in humans because of its favorable effect on quality of life. In small dogs, it is difficult to repair multiple lesions in both leaflets using MVP. Herein, we report a case of severe mitral regurgitation caused by multiple severe lesions in the posterior leaflet (PL) in a mixed Chihuahua. Initially, we had planned MVR with an artificial valve. However, MVP combined with artificial chordal reconstruction of both leaflets, semicircular suture annuloplasty, and valvuloplasty using a newly devised direct scallop suture for the PL was attempted in this dog. The dog recovered well and showed no adverse cardiac signs, surviving two major operations. The dog died 4 years and 10 months after the MVP due to non-cardiovascular disease. Our additional technique of using a direct scallop suture seemed useful for PL repair involving multiple scallops in a small dog.Keywords: Chordal reconstruction, Dog, Mitral regurgitation, Multiple direct scallop suture, Semi-circular suture annuloplasty

Treatment of severe mitral regurgitation caused by lesions in both leaflets using multiple mitral valve plasty techniques in a small dog

Mitral valve plasty (MVP) is preferred over mitral valve replacement (MVR) for mitral regurgitation in humans because of its favorable effect on quality of life. In small dogs, it is difficult to repair multiple lesions in both leaflets using MVP. Herein, we report a case of severe mitral regurgitation caused by multiple severe lesions in the posterior leaflet (PL) in a mixed Chihuahua. Initially, we had planned MVR with an artificial valve. However, MVP combined with artificial chordal reconstruction of both leaflets, semicircular suture annuloplasty, and valvuloplasty using a newly devised direct scallop suture for the PL was attempted in this dog. The dog recovered well and showed no adverse cardiac signs, surviving two major operations. The dog died 4 years and 10 months after the MVP due to non-cardiovascular disease. Our additional technique of using a direct scallop suture seemed useful for PL repair involving multiple scallops in a small dog