1999 Volume 52 Issue 11 Pages 707-710
A 14-month-old Pomeranian (2.9 kg) was presented for evaluation of exercise intolerance and fainting. Physical examination revealed systolic murmur (Levine IV/ VI) over the left cranial aspect of the thorax. Cardiac catheterization determined a severe systolic-pressure gradient of 99 mmHg between the right ventricle and the main pulmonary artery. Angiocardiograms revealed right ventricular hypertrophy, valvular pulmonic stenosis, and post-stenotic dilatation. Subsequently, the pulmonic stenosis was corrected by means of the open-patch graft technique performed with the aid of mildly hypothermic extracorporeal circulation. Successfully weaned from the cardiopulmonary bypass, the patient developed no post-surgical complications. Three months after surgery, post-operative gradient pressure had decreased to 6 mmHg. At the time of writing (16 months after surgery), the patient was doing well, demonstrating no clinical signs and requiring no medication. This success suggests that valvular pulmonic stenosis can be corrected with extracorporeal circulation in toy breed dogs.
