Your monthly update and overview of recently released veterinary studies
Welcome to our monthly VetLit Clinical Publication update, where Dr Simon Cook, founder of VetLit.org, provides an overview and update on recently released studies from a wide range of veterinary publications.
Study: Long-term complications of splenectomy in dogs with benign splenic disease are not associated with mortality (AVMA)
About the Study:
How benign are splenectomies? This study retrospectively collected follow up data on 104 dogs that had had a splenectomy performed for nonneoplastic disease (usually a mass lesion), and that survived more than 6 months. Median length of follow up was 31 months. Conditions recognised in people after splenectomy were explored for, including thrombotic events, bacterial infections, blood parasite infections, abdominal organ torsions or subsequent neoplasia.
Of 104 cases, 13 developed a suspected thrombotic event, 2 developed systemic bacterial infections, none developed blood parasite infection and no organ torsions developed (20 had had a gastropexy performed). Most animals (82/104) were actually deceased at follow up, with a median survival time of 26 months. In 26 animals this was due to a subsequent cancer diagnosis and in 11 it was due to thrombosis. Subsequent haemangiosarcoma was only reported once.
