Urinary Tract Reconstruction Using Rotated Bladder for Urethral Transitional Cell Carcinoma in a Female Dog

Abstract

A 12-year-old spayed female Miniature Dachshund that presented with urethral transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) underwent surgery to remove the tumor. The entire urethra and cranial portion of the vagina were resected. The consequent defect of the urinary tract was reconstructed using the bladder body. The bladder body was transferred to the vagina stump by rotation of the bladder apex through the ventral side. After a Foley catheter was inserted into the rotated bladder through the vagina and the incised hole of the bladder apex, the bladder was anastomosed to the vagina. The case was able to urinate involuntarily through the vulva immediately after the operation. Swelling of the sublumber lymph node was found by X-ray CT on the 126th day of the illness and lymph node metastasis was suspected. The QOL of the case had been improved and maintained, however. There were few reports about the urethral complete removal and the bladder-vagina anastomosis for TCC and furthermore no reports about anastomosis between the rotated bladder and the vagina. This operation was unable to preserve the function of the bladder, but will help in the treatment of urethral TCC of female dogs.