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Retrospective Analysis of the Learning Curve Associated With Laparoscopic Ovariectomy in Dogs and Associated Perioperative Complication Rates
Author(s) -
Pope Juliet Frances Anne,
Knowles Toby Grahame
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
veterinary surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1532-950X
pISSN - 0161-3499
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-950x.2014.12216.x
Subject(s) - medicine , perioperative , complication , surgery , seroma , medical record , subcutaneous emphysema , perforation , barbed suture , laparoscopy , anesthesia , fibrous joint , materials science , metallurgy , punching
Objective To assess the learning curve associated with laparoscopic ovariectomy (LOE) in 618 dogs and to report perioperative complication rates. Study Design Case series. Animals Dogs (n = 618). Methods Data retrieved from the medical records of bitches admitted for LOE over 42 months included date of surgery, breed, weight (kg), age (months), surgeon, suture material used, intraoperative complications and postoperative complications. Each LOE was defined as “successful” or “unsuccessful” by the absence or presence of an intraoperative complication and “failure” rate described using a CUSUM technique. Results Follow‐up time ranged from 152 to 1,435 days (median, 737 days). Intraoperative complications occurred in 10 dogs (1.6%) and included: splenic laceration (6 dogs; 1%), urinary bladder perforation (3 dogs; 0.5%), and subcutaneous emphysema (1 dog; 0.2%). Postoperative complications occurred in 99 dogs (16%) and included: incisional inflammation treated with antibiotics (87 dogs [14%]; 96/1,854 incisions; 5.1%), incisional seroma (5 dogs [0.8%]; 5/1,854 incisions, 0.3%), incisional hernia (4 dogs [0.6%]; 4/1,854 incisions, 0.2%), and ovarian remnant syndrome (3 dogs; 0.5%). CUSUM charts indicated an initial “learning curve” of ∼80 LOE. Conclusions LOE is a technique with an initial learning curve but once surgical proficiency is reached after ∼80 procedures then intraoperative complication rates associated with the procedure can be low.