The Efficacy of Mechanical Abrasion and Talc Slurry as Methods of Pleurodesis in Normal Dogs

Abstract

Neither method of pleurodesis produced sufficient pleural adhesions to obliterate the pleural space. It is possible that the degree of pulmonary pleural fibrosis present in MA dogs may be sufficient to limit air leakage from pulmonary blebs and bullae resulting in successful treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax.

Thoracoscopic treatment of bullous emphysema in 3 dogs

“…In small animals, the value of pleurodesis to limit recurrence of spontaneous pneumothorax has been questioned 2‐4 . Mechanical abrasion or talc slurry pleurodesis do not effectively obliterate the pleural space in dogs 25 . Although thoracoscopic talc slurry may produce a better pleurodesis than mechanical abrasion, 20 the efficacy of pleurodesis to control emphysematous pneumothorax in dogs has not been clinically established, and partial lobectomy remains the treatment of choice.…”

Evaluation of Video‐Assisted Thoracic Surgery for Treatment of Spontaneous Pneumothorax and Pulmonary Bullae in Dogs

“…These include thoracic conformation, surgical approach (thoracotomy vs. sternotomy), underlying disease process, and importantly, the prevalence of secondary procedures such as pleurodesis, which is challenging to achieve in dogs and therefore not routinely performed. [15][16][17] Perhaps if pleurodesis was reliable and performed in some of the failed cases in our series, the incidence of persistent postoperative pneumothorax may have been reduced. Interestingly, dog 5 had blood pleurodesis in combination with right middle lung lobectomy after failure to identify a specific leak.…”

“…It is difficult to make direct comparisons to the human experience as a number of significant differences exist in the management of human spontaneous pneumothorax. These include thoracic conformation, surgical approach (thoracotomy vs. sternotomy), underlying disease process, and importantly, the prevalence of secondary procedures such as pleurodesis, which is challenging to achieve in dogs and therefore not routinely performed . Perhaps if pleurodesis was reliable and performed in some of the failed cases in our series, the incidence of persistent postoperative pneumothorax may have been reduced.…”

Emphysematous lesions in the right cranial lung lobe and torsion of the right medial lung lobe in a British shorthair cat: a case report

“…This observation suggests that additional efforts are necessary to better understand genetic variations affecting pulmonary microstructure and assembly properties. The percentage of reported firm pleural adhesions that arise after pleurodesis is likely to have limited preventive ability (Jerram et al 1999), an issue that still needs to be discussed and improved to achieve acceptable post-surgical outcomes.…”