Comparison of outcomes in dogs undergoing hiatal hernia repair with and without use of a gastropexy: 41 cases (2012-2022)

Watkins, M; Shales, C; Thomas, G; Rossanese, M; Sparks, T; White, R

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the difference in complication rate, gastrointestinal grade and requirement for ongoing medical and/or surgical management following hiatal hernia repair in dogs with and without gastropexy. Materials and methods: Clinical records were reviewed retrospectively for dogs that had undergone surgical hiatal hernia repair at two veterinary referral centres between April 2012 and March 2022. Pre-operative grading of gastrointestinal signs and brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome was performed. All dogs had an oesophagopexy and phrenoplasty. Referring primary veterinary practices and clients were contacted to obtain follow-up information. Fisher's exact tests and Mann Whitney tests were used to assess pre- and intra-operative similarities between groups. Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to determine the changes in gastrointestinal grade at short- (<6 months) and long-term (>6 months) follow-up. Results: Forty-one dogs which underwent oesophagopexy and phrenoplasty were included. Fifteen dogs had no gastropexy performed and 26 dogs had left-sided gastropexy performed. Dogs that underwent gastropexy (n=8, 29%, 95% CI: 13 to 51%) were significantly more likely to require further surgery related to the initial surgery or persistence of gastrointestinal signs compared to dogs that had no gastropexy (n=0, 0%, 95% CI: 0 to 18%) . This difference was not significant when dogs which had further surgery to address brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome were excluded. Gastrointestinal grade significantly improved for both groups at both short- and long-term follow-up. There was no significant difference in overall complication rate, gastrointestinal grade or requirement for further medical treatment between groups. Clinical significance: A left-sided gastropexy is not required for successful surgical repair of hiatal hernia in dogs provided oesophagopexy and phrenoplasty are performed.

Citation

Watkins, M., Shales, C., Thomas, G., Rossanese, M., Sparks, T., & White, R. (2024). Comparison of outcomes in dogs undergoing hiatal hernia repair with and without use of a gastropexy: 41 cases (2012-2022). Journal of Small Animal Practice, https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13797

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 2, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Oct 23, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: Nov 12, 2024
• Print ISSN: 0022-4510
• Electronic ISSN: 1748-5827
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13797
• Keywords: BRACHYCEPHALIC DOGS; GASTROESOPHAGEAL-REFLUX; ESOPHAGEAL; STABILIZATION; ABNORMALITIES; PREVALENCE; PRESSURE; SYSTEM