Objectives The purpose of this study was to describe the perioperative and postoperative complications as well as short-term and long-term outcomes in cats with ureteral obstructions treated by placement of a subcutaneous ureteral bypass (SUB) device without imaging control. The second objective of this study was to compare cats treated by SUB device with cats treated by traditional surgical intervention. Methods Data were obtained retrospectively from the medical records (2014-2016) of cats that underwent SUB placement (SUB cats) and cats that underwent traditional ureteral surgery (C cats). Results Nineteen SUB devices were placed without fluoroscopic, radiographic or ultrasonographic guidance in 13 cats. Fifteen traditional interventions (ureterotomy and neoureterocystostomy) were performed in 11 cats. Successful placement of the SUB device was achieved in all cats with only one major intraoperative complication (kinking of the kidney catheter) and one minor intraoperative complication (misplacement of the kidney catheter). Eleven SUB cats recovered from the surgical procedure; two SUB cats and three C cats died during the anaesthesia recovery period. Postoperative SUB complications included anaemia (n = 2), urinary tract infection (UTI) (n = 4), non-infectious cystitis (n = 5) and SUB device obstruction (n = 1). Postoperative traditional surgery complications included anaemia (n = 7), UTIs (n = 6), non-infectious cystitis (n = 1), re-obstruction (n = 4) and ureteral stricture (n = 1). Median postoperative duration of hospitalisation (3 days) was significantly shorter for SUB cats than for C cats ( P = 0.013). Ten SUB cats (76.9%) and four C cats (40%) were still alive at a median follow-up of 225 days and 260 days, respectively. Owners were completely (90%) or mostly (10%) satisfied with the SUB device placement. Conclusions and relevance SUB device placement appears to be an effective and safe option for treating ureteral obstruction in cats, and this study has shown that fluoroscopic guidance is not essential in all cases.

The development of non-cellularized composites of chitosan (CHI) hydrogels, filled with cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) of the type nanofibrillated cellulose, was proposed for the repair and regeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD) annulus fibrosus (AF) tissue. With the achievement of CNF-filled CHI hydrogels, biomaterial-based implants were designed to restore damaged/degenerated discs. The structural, mechanical and biological properties of the developed hydrogel composites were investigated. The neutralization of weakly acidic aqueous CNF/CHI viscous suspensions in NaOH yielded composites of physical hydrogels in which the cellulose nanofibers reinforced the CHI matrix, as investigated by means of microtensile testing under controlled humidity. We assessed the suitability of the achieved biomaterials for intervertebral disc tissue engineering in ex vivo experiments using spine pig models. Cellulose nanofiber-filled chitosan hydrogels can be used as implants in AF tissue defects to restore IVD biomechanics and constitute contention patches against disc nucleus protrusion while serving as support for IVD regeneration.

A penetrating injury, more than three radiographic lesions, or both together seemed to be indicative of the need for a thoracotomy. In the absence of these criteria, systematic bite wound explorative surgery is recommended, with extension to thoracotomy if thoracic body wall disruption is observed.