Use of a unique method for removal of a foreign body from the trachea of a cat

Abstract

A fluoroscopic technique was used as a minimally invasive alternative to endoscopy or open-chest surgery for removal of a foreign body from the trachea of a cat. Use of this technique allowed uninterrupted ventilation of the cat throughout the procedure.

Intrathoracic Emergency Tracheotomy for Treatment of Tracheal Foreign Body in a Young Cat

“…Several objects are described as needles, wood mulch, grass, tooth, gravel, bone, endotracheal tube fragment, bullet (Tivers & Moore, 2006;Zambelli, 2006). Several less invasive techniques are described in literature to remove the tracheal foreign bodies, like bronchoscopy, aid with Foley catheter and fluoroscopy, endoscopy via pre-sternal tracheostomy (Goodnight et al, 2010;Tivers & Moore, 2006;Nutt et al, 2014). However, whenever they are not available or it use results in failure, emergency thoracotomy must be performed, as it occurred at the present case report.…”

“…Pushing the object further into the bronchial tree with subsequent lung lobectomy is not indicated if the object is too large or with inadequate morphology to completely enter the mainstem bronchus. Moreover, it can compromise the tracheal healing after lesion with the foreign body movement (Goodnight et al, 2010).…”

“…Tracheal foreign bodies are rare (Goodnight et al, 2010) and infrequently reported in cats (Johns et al, 2014). However, they are potentially lifethreatening clinical and surgical emergency cases.…”

“…However, they are potentially lifethreatening clinical and surgical emergency cases. The surgical removal, after quick evaluation, diagnosis and promoting stabilization of dyspnea, represents treatment choice for the patients (Goodnight et al, 2010). Most tracheal foreign bodies in cats are located in the carina, on the other hand, small objects can move down to the distal airway (Johns et al, 2014).…”

“…One must make differential diagnosis with pneumomediastinum in cats, although it represents another unfrequently condition, mostly related to general anesthesia and endotracheal intubation with positive ventilation and less frequently, as a spontaneous presentation (Thomas & Syring, 2013). Several effective methods are described to remove every type of tracheal foreign bodies, including rigid or flexible bronchoscopy with grasping forceps or Foley urinary catheter passing alongside the bronchoscopy and inflated past the foreign body, vacuum extraction and the use of forceps with fluoroscopy (Goodnight et al, 2010;Nutt et al, 2014). Surgical treatment, including pre-sternal tracheotomy and endoscopy through the tracheostomy site, sometimes with a thoracotomy approach, has been described when the less invasive methods of removal failed (Nutt et al, 2014).…”