34th Annual Scientific Meeting proceedings

Objectives:

Identify risk factors from CT imaging and signalment of brachycephalic dogs prior to BOAS surgery. Evaluate breed differences for prevalence of BOAS-related skull and airway morphology.

Methods:

Signalment and preoperative CT imaging parameters, including skull, palate and airway morphology measures, and presence of preoperative pulmonary pathology were evaluated for association with occurrence of minor (regurgitation/vomiting) or major (re-intubation, postoperative pneumonia or tracheostomy) complications, or death. French bulldogs (FB), English bulldogs (EB), pugs, and “other” brachycephalic breeds were compared for incidence of complications and association with CT-measured parameters

Results:

209 dogs (108 FB, 27 EB, 55 pugs, 19 others) were included. Minor complications were experienced in 59.8% of cases, with FB (OR=1.9, p=0.0001) more likely to experience them. Major complications were experienced in 7.2% of cases, but no association with any variable was identified. Death was seen in 3.4% of cases with EB more likely (14.8% mortality) to die following BOAS surgery (OR=3.2, p=0.003). No CT-measured parameter was associated with complications/death. Nasal cross-sectional airway areas were lower and palate lengths were longer in EB than other breeds (p<0.014). Palate thickness and Brachycephalic index were greater in FB than other breeds (p<0.026). Palate thickness and length were shorter for pugs than other breeds.

Conclusions:

Preoperative CT airway measurements didn’t identify any association with risk of acute perioperative complications or death in BOAS surgical cases, but did identify significant differences in conformation between EB, FB and pugs. FB are more likely to have vomiting/regurgitation perioperatively and EB are more likely to die following BOAS surgery.