Surgical complications associated with hemilaminectomy and intervertebral disc fenestration: Prospective study of 64 dogs

Abstract

Hemilaminectomy and intervertebral disc fenestration are commonly used to treat intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE); however, they are associated with surgical complications. Sixty-four dogs were assessed during the intraoperative, immediate postoperative, and late postoperative periods to evaluate complications resulting from these surgical procedures. During this study, 15.62% (n=10) of the dogs presented with complications during at least one of the evaluations. Iatrogenic rhizotomy, access to the spinal canal contralateral to the lesion, and cardiorespiratory arrest were observed intraoperatively. Abdominal wall flaccidity, neurological worsening, hematoma, dehiscence, and superficial wound infections were observed during the immediate postoperative period. Adverse reactions to the surgical thread, scar adhesion, and superficial wound infection were the most frequent complications during the late postoperative period. Dogs that undergo hemilaminectomy and intervertebral disc fenestration because of IVDE may experience complications during the intraoperative, immediate postoperative, and late postoperative periods. However, these complications are often transitory and rarely cause death.

Evaluation of anatomic landmarks to increase precision performing a mini-hemilaminectomy—an ex vivo study in dogs

“…The spinal nerve roots of the corresponding vertebra exit the spinal canal in the cranial part of the vertebral foramen over the VCF just under the accessory process, which was used as a landmark in our study (18). The postoperative evaluation showed that 20% of the nerve roots were damaged, which is rather high compared to another study (19). One explanation could be that the procedures in our study were performed without magnification devices such as loupes or a surgical microscope, which can lead to more imprecision (20).…”