Endoscopic-guided laser ablation of vestibulovaginal septal remnants in dogs: 36 cases (2007–2011)

Abstract

36 female dogs with persistent paramesonephric septal remnants (n = 19), vaginal septa (11), or dual vaginas (6) were included. Twenty-six dogs had urinary incontinence, 2 had recurrent UTIs, and 8 had both. Thirty of 36 (83%) dogs had concurrent ectopic ureters. Endoscopic-guided laser ablation was performed with holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet and diode lasers in 8 and 28 dogs, respectively. Five dogs had mild postoperative dysuria for < 24 hours. One patient developed a complication involving inadvertent laser perforation of the vaginal wall. There were no negative effects from this event, and the perforation was fully healed within 8 weeks. At the time of follow-up, all defects were fully healed with no sign of recurrence in the 18 (50%) patients reevaluated. There was a significant improvement in continence scores and a significantly decreased incidence of UTIs after ELA. The median follow-up time was 34 months (range, 8 to 57 months). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVENCE: The results of the present study indicated that ELA provided an effective, safe, and minimally invasive treatment option for various VVSRs in dogs, avoiding the need for more invasive surgery.

Transurethral cystoscopy in dogs with recurrent urinary tract infections: Retrospective study (2011‐2018)

“…Though the clinical relevance of this finding remains unknown, cystoscopy is superior to other imaging modalities in their identification. Dogs with EU commonly have concurrent VVSR in 80% (4/5) which is similar to previous reports (83%) . We observed a high prevalence of hooded vulva (69%); however, episioplasty was performed in only 21%.…”

“…The most common bacterial isolate was E. coli . E. coli is commonly cultured from urine of dogs with UTIs with a reported prevalence of 30% to 50% of urine cultures submitted . The most prevalent bacteria after E. coli was Staphylococcus and Enterococcus as in 3 retrospective case studies .…”

“…Transurethral cystoscopy allows examination of the lower urinary tract, and identification of anatomic anomalies that can predispose to RUTI. Cystoscopy is an essential tool in interventional urology allowing correction of intramural ectopic ureters, fragmentation and removal of uroliths, and laser ablation of polyps and vestibulovaginal septal remnants and urethral septums.…”

Ureteral ectopia and urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence: an update on diagnosis and management options

“…, Burdick et al . ). These abnormalities are often not visible with routine imaging modalities, or at surgery, and so have previously been under‐diagnosed and treated.…”

Interventional Urology

“…16). 23 After CLA-EU the ureteral orifice has been shown to remain in a normal position at the trigone of the bladder, but many dogs have been shown 20 to have concurrent urethral incompetence and will require additional medication or procedures to maintain continence. 61 A prospective study of CLA-EU in 30 female dogs reported an overall urinary continence rate of 77% after CLA-EU with the addition of medical management, collagen injections, or placement of a urethral hydraulic occluder.…”