Cryosurgical Treatment of Anal Sac Fistulae in Dogs
Seven dogs of different breed, age, and sex that were diagnosed with anal sac fistulae upon clinical examination constituted the study material. Sedation for the procedure was maintained by means of xylazine hydrochloride administered intramuscularly. The patients were placed in the lateral recumbency position for the insertion into the fistulae of an appropriate probe, selected according to the lesion. Rapid cooling and spontaneous thawing were performed. This procedure was performed twice consecutively. The cooling temperature was adjusted to between -30 and -50 °C. The lesion healed completely between weeks 3 and 6 following the demarcation of necrotic tissue and growth of healthy granulation tissue. No postoperative antibiotic treatment was applied in any of the cases. Furthermore, during this period, no indicative clinical symptoms of haemorrhage, itching, or development of infection was observed. Various treatment options such as surgery and medical management are applied for the treatment of anal sac fistulae. The advantages of cryosurgical therapy in the perianal region are reported to include a low rate of recurrence, healing without any complication, ease of performance, no risk of haemorrhage, and prognosis ranging from good to excellent. According to the results from an evaluation of cases in this clinical study, cryosurgery was a more preferable option for the treatment of anal sac fistulae, when compared to surgical methods.
Cryosurgical Treatment of Anal Sac Fistulae in Dogs
Seven dogs of different breed, age, and sex that were diagnosed with anal sac fistulae upon clinical examination constituted the study material. Sedation for the procedure was maintained by means of xylazine hydrochloride administered intramuscularly. The patients were placed in the lateral recumbency position for the insertion into the fistulae of an appropriate probe, selected according to the lesion. Rapid cooling and spontaneous thawing were performed. This procedure was performed twice consecutively. The cooling temperature was adjusted to between -30 and -50 °C. The lesion healed completely between weeks 3 and 6 following the demarcation of necrotic tissue and growth of healthy granulation tissue. No postoperative antibiotic treatment was applied in any of the cases. Furthermore, during this period, no indicative clinical symptoms of haemorrhage, itching, or development of infection was observed. Various treatment options such as surgery and medical management are applied for the treatment of anal sac fistulae. The advantages of cryosurgical therapy in the perianal region are reported to include a low rate of recurrence, healing without any complication, ease of performance, no risk of haemorrhage, and prognosis ranging from good to excellent. According to the results from an evaluation of cases in this clinical study, cryosurgery was a more preferable option for the treatment of anal sac fistulae, when compared to surgical methods.
___
- Getty, R.: Sisson and Grossman’s Anatomy of the Domestic Animals. W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia. 1975; 1553-1554.
- Miller, M.E., Christensen, G.C., Evans, H.E.: Anatomy of the Dog. W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia. 1975; 694-697.
- Nickel, R., Schummer, A., Seiferle, E.: The Viscera of the Domestic Mammals. Verlag Paul Parey, Berlin. 1979; 130-132.
- Fossum, T.W.: Small Animal Surgery. Mosby-Year Book, St. Louis. 1997; 348-352.
- Aronson, L.: Rectum and Anus. In: Slatter, D. Ed., Textbook of Small Animal Surgery. Vol. I. W.B. Saunders. Philadelphia. 2003; 682-708.
- Matthiesen, D.T., Maretta, S.M.: Disease of Anus and Rectum. In: Slatter, D. Ed., Textbook of Small Animal Surgery. Vol. I. W.B. Saunders. Philadelphia. 1993; 627-645.
- Thompson, M.S.: Disease of the Anal Sacs. In: Kirk, R.W. Ed., Current Veterinary Therapy. XIII: Small Animal Practice. W.B. Saunders. Philadelphia, 2000; 591.
- Aiellio, S.E.: The Merck Veterinary Manual. 8th edn., Merck, 1998; 147
- Budsberg, S.C., Spurgeon, T.L., Liggitt, H.D.: Anatomic predisposition to perianal fistulae formation in the German shepherd dog. Am. J. Vet. Res., 1985; 46: 1468-1472.
- Harvey, C.E.: Perianal Şstula in the dog. Vet. Rec., 1972; 91: 25- 33.
- Niebauer, G.W.: Rectum, Anus and Perianal and Perianal Regions. In: Harvey C.E., Newton, C.D., Schwartz, A. Eds., Small Animal Surgery. J.B. Lippinoott Company, Philadelphia, 1990; 381-402.
- Washabau, A.J., Brockman, D.J.: Recto-Anal Disease. In: Ettinger, S.J., Fieldman, E.C. Eds., Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 4th edn. W.B. Saunders. Philadelphia, 1994; 1398. granulation tissue as a result of demarcation of damaged tissue was determined in examinations performed on day
- , whereas healing was completed within 3—6 weeks.
- In the evaluation of our cases, no complications or,
- despite no local or parenteral antibiotics being used,
- development of infection was observed following
- cryosurgical applications. Cryosurgery was determined to
- be an easier and more reliable method for treatment of
- perianal Şstulae when compared to conventional surgical
- methods, and, with respect to the location of anal region,
- was demonstrated to have advantages such as no
- development of infection. As a result of this clinical study, in the Şeld of small
- animal surgery, cryosurgery was concluded to be a
- preferable method for the treatment of anal sac Şstulae.
- Van Duijkeren, E.J.: Disease conditions of canine anal sacs. J. Small Anim. Pract., 1995; 36: 12-16.
- Downs, M.O., Stampley A.R.: Use of a Foley catheter to facilitate anal sac removal in the dog. J. Am. Anim. Hosp. Assoc., 1998; 34: 395-397.
- Casieux, A., Ducret, J., Mirande-Ducret, D.: La cryochirurgie. Applications pratiques chez l’animal. Revue Med. Vet., 1980; 131: 203-208.
- Liska, W.D., Greiner, T.P., Withrow, S.J.: Symposium on surgical techniques in small animal practice. Cryosurgery in the treatment of perianal Şstulae. Vet. Clin. North Am., 1975; 5: 449-456.
- Bellangeon, M.: Cryochirurgie et medicine veterinaire. Sci. Vét. Med. Comp., 1985; 87: 41-48.
- Greiner, T.P., Liska, W.D., Withrow, S.J.: Symposium on surgical techniques in small animal practice. Cryosurgery. Vet. Clin. North Am., 1975; 5: 565-581.
- Hill, L.N., Smeak, D.D.: Open versus closed bilateral anal sacculectomy for treatment of non-neoplastic anal sac disease in dogs: 95 cases (1969-1994). J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., 2002, 221: 662-665.
- Tirgari, M.: A simple, clean method for the surgical ablation of anal sacs in dogs. Vet Rec., 1988, 123: 365-366.
- Goldstein, R.S.: Nitrous oxide cryosurgical units; their use in veterinary practice. Vet. Med. Small Anim. Clin., 1977; 72: 1587- 1592.
- Withrow, S.J., Greiner, T.P., Liska, W.D.: Cryosurgery: veterinary consideration. J. Am. Anim. Hosp. Assoc., 1975; 11: 271-282.
- Harkin, K.R., Walshaw, R., Mullaney, T.P.: Association of perianal Şstula and colitis in the German shepherd dog: response to high- dose prednisone and dietary therapy. J. Am. Anim. Hosp. Assoc. 1996; 32: 515-520.