
Your Custom Quiz
In Raleigh 2022 et al., on pericardiectomy complications, which surgical tool was most frequently associated with the onset of ventricular fibrillation?
🔍 Key Findings
- Ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurred in 3% of pericardiectomy cases across reporting institutions.
- 14 of 16 dogs (88%) that developed intraoperative VF died, indicating high mortality.
- Electrosurgical devices were used in 15/16 dogs; VF onset coincided with their use in 8 dogs, suggesting a potential but unproven association.
- Preoperative arrhythmias were seen in 7 dogs (e.g., VPCs, VT, bradycardia), possibly serving as early warning signs.
- Thoracoscopic approach was used in 75% of cases; however, conversion to open surgery was required in 9/13 thoracoscopic procedures after VF onset.
- Defibrillation was attempted in 13 dogs, but only 3 converted to sinus rhythm, and only 2 survived postoperatively.
- VF may result from stray current or cardiac manipulation; bipolar energy devices were implicated despite lower theoretical risk.
- Preventative strategies include judicious electrosurgery use, close ECG monitoring, rapid CPR preparedness, and preop cardiac risk assessment.
Veterinary Surgery
4
2022
The development of ventricular fibrillation as a complication of pericardiectomy in 16 dogs
2022-4-VS-raleigh-3
In Cherzan 2023 et al., on subcutaneous mast cell tumors, which characteristic was **not** significantly associated with recurrence, DFI, or survival in dogs with subcutaneous mast cell tumors?
🔍 Key Findings
- Local recurrence occurred in 17.8% of dogs, and was associated with significantly decreased survival (551 vs 1722 days, p = .0038).
- Lymph node metastasis occurred in 26.7% of dogs and was significantly associated with shorter disease-free interval (194 vs not reached, p = .0012) and lower survival (551 vs 1722 days, p = .043).
- Mitotic index >7 was significantly associated with higher recurrence (80% vs 22.5%, p = .02), shorter DFI (139 vs not reached days, p < .001), and shorter survival (247 vs 1722 days, p = .05).
- Infiltrative growth pattern was associated with shorter DFI (268 vs 1864 days, p = .011), but not with survival or recurrence.
- Incomplete margins (≤1 mm) were not significantly associated with recurrence (p = .085), but did correlate with shorter DFI (p = .043).
- Chemotherapy or radiation therapy was associated with shorter DFI and survival, likely due to selection bias for more aggressive disease.
- Tumor size >3 cm was associated with decreased survival (p = .031), but not with recurrence or DFI.
- Multinucleation and necrosis were not associated with prognosis outcomes.
Veterinary Surgery
4
2023
Factors affecting prognosis in canine subcutaneous mast cell tumors: 45 cases
2023-4-VS-cherzan-3
In Adrian 2024 et al., on feline pelvic fracture stabilization, what was a suggested strategy to reduce screw pullout in SOP constructs?
🔍 Key Findings
- 20 cats with pelvic fractures treated with SOP plates and cortical screws
- Full function reported in all patients per FMPI follow-up
- Screw loosening in 3/20 SOP cases; implant removal in 3 cats
- Median sacral index decrease at follow-up: 5.7%; mostly mild narrowing
- Complications: 5 major (3 SOP removals, 2 trochanter osteotomy issues); 20 minor
- SOP plate shown feasible even in challenging configurations; good functional outcomes
Veterinary and Comparative Orthopedics and Traumatology
1
2024
Use of Locking Plates Fixed with Cortical Screws for Pelvic Fracture Repair in 20 Cats
2024-1-VCOT-adrian-4
In Canever 2022 et al., on labial flap vascular anatomy, which intraoperative technique was used to help locate labial vessels prior to flap design?
🔍 Key Findings
- Superior and inferior labial arteries in cats perfuse robust angiosomes, which support musculomucosal axial pattern flaps.
- Cadaver angiography confirmed vascular anatomy, with consistent patterns between sides and among specimens.
- The vascular supply is located primarily in the musculomucosal layer, not the skin, critical for flap viability.
- Flap harvest requires inclusion of the orbicularis oris (± buccinator) muscle to ensure vascular integrity and flap survival.
- Two clinical cases demonstrated successful use of superior and inferior labial musculomucosal flaps for palatal reconstruction with complete flap survival and resolution of clinical signs.
- Intraoperative transillumination aided vessel localization, facilitating surgical planning and flap design.
- No cases of distal flap necrosis or dehiscence occurred, although mild donor site morbidity (lip retraction, mucosal denuding) was noted.
- These flaps offer a valuable option when local tissues are compromised, especially after failed previous repairs or radiation therapy.
Veterinary Surgery
4
2022
Evaluation of the superior and inferior labial musculomucosal flaps in cats: An angiographic study and case series
2022-4-VS-canever-2
In Petchell 2025 et al., on CORA-based CCWO, how did small-breed dogs respond to increasing MAA from 3° to 5° in CCWOCORA planning?
🔍 Key Findings
- The CORA-based cranial closing wedge ostectomy (CCWOCORA) consistently achieved the target postoperative TPA of 5° across all tibial morphologies.
- CCWOCORA produced significantly less variability in postoperative TPA compared to other methods (TPA range: 5.00–5.00°; p < .001).
- Mechanical axis advancement (MAA) was precisely controlled at 3° in CCWOCORA, leading to greater surgical predictability.
- Other techniques (e.g., CCWOTPA, CCWOTPA–5, CCWOISO) showed greater variance in TPA, MAA, and tibial length.
- In small-breed dogs, increasing the MAA from 3° to 5° did not affect TPA outcomes, but increased proximal bone stock, improving feasibility.
- Wedge angles and tibial length changes varied by method, but CCWOCORA maintained length better than TPA-based methods.
- The technique allows preoperative planning of both desired MAA and TPA, enhancing predictability and customization.
- CORA methodology enables precise geometric correction and alignment of mechanical axes, reducing reliance on trial-and-error alignment.
Veterinary Surgery
7
2025
An in silico comparison of a novel CORA-based cranial closing wedge ostectomy methodology with three other techniques
2025-7-VS-petchell-3
In Huerta 2025 et al., on leakage in canine lung lobectomy, what was the most common site of staple line failure in partial lobectomies?
🔍 Key Findings
PL-30 group (partial, TA30-V3 wedge):
- 100% leaked
- Median leakage pressure: 10 cm H₂O
- Most failures from periphery of staple line
PL-60 group (partial, TA60-3.5):
- 100% leaked
- Median leakage pressure: 18 cm H₂O
- Better than PL-30 (p = .006)
TL-30 group (total, TA30-V3):
- Only 1 of 11 leaked (at 22 cm H₂O)
- All others resisted pressures >50–65 cm H₂O
- Significantly higher leakage pressure than both PL groups (p < .001)
Odds ratios (leakage vs TL-30):
- PL-30: OR 437 at both 20 and 30 cm H₂O (p = .003)
- PL-60: OR 437 at 20 cm H₂O and 133 at 30 cm H₂O (p = .003)
Recommendation: Prefer TL-30 when possible. If partial needed, PL-60 superior to PL-30, but all partials leaked at physiologic pressures.
Veterinary Surgery
4
2025
Leakage pressures of partial and total lung lobectomies performed with thoracoabdominal staplers in cadaveric dogs
2025-4-VS-huerta-3
In Logothetou 2024 et al., on SPF complications, which patient factor was independently associated with increased complication risk on multivariable analysis?
🔍 Key Findings
- Complication rate for subdermal plexus flaps (SPFs) in dogs was 53.6%.
- Skin staples had a numerically higher complication rate (72.2%) than sutures (49.3%), but not statistically significant due to small sample size.
- Most common complication was wound dehiscence (35%), followed by seroma (14%) and wound discharge (14%).
- Increased body weight was significantly associated with higher complication risk (OR = 1.056 per kg; p = .029).
- Advancement flaps were associated with a lower incidence of complications on univariable analysis (p < .001).
- Head region flap closures had fewer complications, while proximal pelvic limb closures had the highest complication rate.
- Age was a risk factor—each additional year increased odds of complications (OR = 1.019; p = .004).
- Closure technique did not significantly influence complication severity, though staple use was numerically worse.
Veterinary Surgery
3
2024
Complications and influence of cutaneous closure technique on subdermal plexus flaps in 97 dogs (2006–2022)
2024-3-VS-logothetou-2
In Low 2025 et al., on machine-learning outcomes in IVDE, which factor was associated with improved functional recovery?
🔍 Key Findings
The study included 162 deep-pain-negative dogs undergoing decompressive surgery (hemilaminectomy) for acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE).
Ambulatory recovery occurred in 53.1% of dogs (86/162).
The best performing machine-learning model was XGBoost, with an AUC of 0.9502 and accuracy of 89.1%, outperforming Ridge, AdaBoost, and Naive Bayes models.
Preoperative-only XGBoost models were less accurate, with AUC dropping to 0.8271 and accuracy to 71.9%.
Top predictive features (by SHAP analysis) included:
- T2-weighted to L2 spinal cord signal ratio (lower values predicted better outcome)
- Use of fenestration (presence associated with better recovery)
- Hospitalization duration
- Imaging modality used
- Duration of nonambulatory status
Machine learning provided better insight into prognostic factors than traditional statistical methods.
Veterinary Surgery
4
2025
Machine-learning-based prediction of functional recovery in deep-pain-negative dogs after decompressive thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy for acute intervertebral disc extrusion
2025-4-VS-low-4
In Papacella-Beugger 2024 et al., which anatomical limitation required a custom reference array?
🔍 Key Findings Summary
- Cadaveric study using 3 miniature breed dogs (6 hemipelves) to assess spinal neuronavigation accuracy for lumbar plate fixation
- 20 screws placed using CBCT-based navigation with real-time tracking
- 85% (17/20) of screws were safely and accurately placed
- Median deviation of screw entry points from plan: 1.8 mm
- All 3 misplaced screws occurred in a single cadaver, attributed to inexperienced drill handling
- Custom 3D-printed lightweight tracking array was necessary due to small spinous processes in miniature dogs
- No iatrogenic canal perforations or vertebral damage in any specimen
- Concludes neuronavigation offers precise, safe placement of spinal implants in small dogs, with minimal anatomic disruption
Veterinary and Comparative Orthopedics and Traumatology
6
2024
Spinal Neuronavigation for Lumbar Plate Fixation in Miniature Breed Dogs
2024-6-VCOT-papacella-beugger-5
In Adair 2023 et al., on PCCLm vs OC in dogs, what was the most statistically significant short-term benefit observed with PCCLm?
🔍 Key Findings
- PCCLm resulted in significantly fewer postoperative lower urinary tract signs compared to OC (13.0% vs 60.9%, p <.001).
- Incomplete urolith removal was not significantly different between PCCLm and OC (11.4% vs 20%, p = .112).
- PCCLm had significantly shorter anesthesia times than OC when no concurrent procedures were performed (97.5 vs 120 min, p < .001).
- Surgical site infection/inflammation (SSII) rates were low and not significantly different between groups (4.5% PCCLm vs 1.8% OC).
- Dogs undergoing PCCLm were more frequently discharged same-day (84.7% vs 0% in OC), reflecting faster recovery.
- PCCLm had higher intraoperative complication rates (22.1% vs 3.4%), mostly due to incision extension or conversions.
- Time to additional surgery for urolith recurrence was longer in PCCLm dogs (24 vs 11.5 months, p = .004).
- Calcium oxalate uroliths were more prevalent in PCCLm cases, while OC had more struvite or mixed types.
Veterinary Surgery
6
2023
Retrospective comparison of modified percutaneous cystolithotomy (PCCLm) and traditional open cystotomy (OC) in dogs: 218 cases (2010–2019)
2023-6-VS-adair-1
Quiz Results
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