Complications and management of a long-term pleural access port in a dog with chronic chylothorax associated with lung lobe torsion |
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Authors: | Fenway Chang Andrew KJ Linklater |
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Institution: | Lakeshore Veterinary Specialists, 2100 W Silver Spring Drive, Glendale, Wisconsin 53209, USA |
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Abstract: | A 2-year-old neutered male 35-kg golden retriever mixed breed dog was presented because of a 3-day history of increased respiratory effort. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with a lung lobe torsion and underwent lung lobectomy. Chylothorax developed after surgery and persisted for 3.5 y. Pleural access port (PAP) placement was used for long-term medical management. Several complications were encountered, including 2 episodes of PAP occlusion that were successfully treated with unfractionated heparin. The dog had a surgical site seroma and 2 episodes of pleuritis; euthanasia was elected after the second episode.Key clinical message:This case demonstrates successful long-term management of chylothorax with a pleural access port and management of 3 complications. Instead of the less accessible and more expensive tissue plasminogen activator, unfractionated heparin was used as an effective treatment for PAP occlusions. |
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