Individualized mini-hemilaminectomy-corpectomy (iMHC) for treatment of thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation in large breed dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the short-term, mid-term, and long-term results after an individualized mini-hemilaminectomy-corpectomy (iMHC) procedure for treatment of acute and chronic thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease in non-chondrodystrophic dogs.


METHODS
Prospective study.


METHODS
Client-owned non-chondrodystrophic large breed dogs (n = 57).


METHODS
The iMHC procedure, combining mini-hemilaminectomy (MH) and partial lateral corpectomy, was performed on non-chondrodystrophic dogs with thoracolumbar disc disease. Neurological status was evaluated before surgery, for short-term outcome on days 1 and 7 after surgery, for mid-term outcome at 6 months after surgery, and for long-term outcome at the conclusion of the study. Prognostic factors were statistically evaluated. P < .05 was considered significant.


RESULTS
iMHC was performed on 57 dogs, with minimal intraoperative and postoperative complications. Short-term neurological improvement was observed in 85.7% of dogs. Median hospitalization time after surgery was 2 days (range 0-14) and was significantly shorter for dogs with a chronic history of clinical signs (1 day, range 0-5) compared to acute onset (3 days, range 0-14) and for those that were ambulatory at initial presentation (1 day, range 0-5) compared to those that were not (3 days, range 0-14). Long-term evaluation included 53 surgeries with a mean follow-up time of 29.4 months. Outcome was excellent in 19 dogs and good in 29 dogs (90.6% success rate). Excellent mid-term and long-term results were significantly more common in the dogs with only 1 affected disc space.


CONCLUSIONS
The iMHC procedure resulted in a short hospitalization time, minimal postoperative deterioration, and a high success rate.
Small Animal Clinic Dr. Medl, Babenhausen, Bavaria, Germany.
Susanne C
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3202-5926
SC
Medl
Institute of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
Sven
S
Reese
Small Animal Clinic Dr. Medl, Babenhausen, Bavaria, Germany.
Nikola S
NS
Medl
D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000662:veterinary; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D016896:Treatment Outcome