🔍 Key Findings
- Objective: To evaluate outcomes and complications of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for idiopathic chylothorax in 15 cats.
- All 15 cats underwent thoracoscopic thoracic duct ligation (TDL); 13 also had simultaneous pericardectomy, 2 had VATS TDL + laparoscopic cisterna chyli ablation (CCA), and 1 cat had an open CCA.
- Median surgical time was 152.5 minutes (range 60–255).
- Contrast was used intraoperatively in 13 cats; 11 received methylene blue, and 2 received indocyanine green (ICG).
- One intraoperative complication (6%) occurred — a minor intercostal artery laceration. Conversion to open surgery occurred in 3 cases (20%) due to visualization issues or bleeding.
- Postoperative complications occurred in 8 cats (53%), with persistent pleural effusion in 5 cats (33%) being the most common.
- Mortality was high: 4 cats (27%) died or were euthanized before discharge. Only 7 of 11 cats discharged had resolution of effusion, and recurrence occurred in 1.
- Authors concluded that while VATS is technically feasible in cats, it did not improve clinical outcomes compared to open surgery, and feline idiopathic chylothorax continues to have a high mortality rate.
