Lung perforation caused by suture ends as a complication of lung lobectomy in a dog

Abstract

A 7‐year‐old female bearded collie was presented with a 6‐month history of coughing. A thoracic and abdominal computed tomography examination revealed a large soft tissue mass within the right caudal and middle pulmonary lobes. A right caudal, middle and accessory lobe lung lobectomy was performed with a combination of manual sutures and staples. A persistent pneumothorax was observed during the 4 days following surgery, and surgical exploration was conducted. Two lung perforations in the cranial pulmonary lobe induced by the suture ends from the first procedure were detected. A right cranial lobectomy using a TA stapler was performed, resulting in a right total pneumonectomy. Seven months after the surgery, the dog was reported to be doing well with no recurrence of clinical signs. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case report of a lung perforation caused by suture ends as a complication of lung lobectomy in a dog.