New Treatment for Brachycephalic Dogs

Upper airway disorders of short-nosed breeds are described as brachycephalic airway syndrome (BAS). Clinical signs can vary in intensity and frequency, but the worst cases involve severe dyspnea with life-threatening asphyxia and syncope. Current surgical therapeutic recommendations include widening of stenotic nares, shortening of the elongated soft palate, and possible resection of everted laryngeal saccules. However, these interventions do not always provide lasting benefits. This article describes a new modality-using lasers to do a partial turbinectomy. Eighty brachycephalic dogs were treated. CT scans and measurement of intranasal airflow resistance were performed preoperatively. Endoscopically a DIODE-laser fiber was used to remove obstructive parts of the conchae, creating a new meatus nasi ventralis. In some of the dogs the concha nasalis ventralis or concha nasalis media was resected as well. Intranasal airflow resistance was reduced by about 50%.

COMMENTARY: As the authors point out, problems like BAS are, in part, man-made disasters from breeding with overemphasis on brachycephalia. However, since these problems do exist, this approach -using endoscopy to identify abnormal chonchal growth and direct lasers to remove the obstruction-is promising.

New aspects of brachycephalia in dogs and cats; options: Treatment modalites. Oechtering GU, Hueber J, Nöller C. ACVIM PROC, 2008, pp 11-17.