Outcomes of Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunts Occluded with Ameroid Constrictors in Nine Dogs and One Cat

Abstract

To report outcome after ameroid constrictor (AC) use for single intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (IPSS). Retrospective study. Nine dogs and 1 cat. Medical records (1999-2003) of dogs and cats with surgically confirmed IPSS were reviewed. Recorded data was: breed, sex, weight, age at surgery, clinical signs, serum biochemical and hematologic data, shunt anatomy, AC size, hospitalization, complications, and owner perception of their animal's response to surgery. Owners were contacted twice postoperatively (between 20 and 75 months) and asked to complete a simple questionnaire. With this technique, complication rate was low and postligation neurologic dysfunction was not observed. In the cat and 7 dogs, clinical signs attributed to IPPS resolved and animals were fed a non-prescription diet without medication. One dog died suddenly 18 months after surgery from causes unrelated to hepatic disease. One dog was euthanatized 23 months after surgery because of repeated, increasingly refractory episodes of hepatic encephalopathy. AC provides a safe and effective method for occlusion of some IPPS. AC should be considered for occlusion of some IPPS in dogs and cats.