CHRONIC TRAUMATIC DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIORRHAPHY IN A 7-MONTH-OLD FELINE – CASE REPORT (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Diaphragmatic hernias in small animals require trauma with great impact to occur and are mostly due to car accidents. They are considered emergencies because they present an inherent risk of death due to the inability to expand the lung. The present work aims to report the case of a feline patient, 7 months old, who suffered trauma due to being run over and who, after about 3 months, began to present severe dyspnea and was referred to the Veterinary Hospital of Ulbra under suspicion of diaphragmatic hernia. The suspicion was confirmed through a simple abdominal and thoracic radiographic examination, which showed the absence of most organs in the abdominal cavity and their presence in the thoracic cavity. Due to the absence of clinical improvement with attempts at stabilization and oxygen therapy, the patient was referred for emergency surgical treatment using the diaphragmatic herniorrhaphy technique. For treatment, a median ventral celiotomy was performed with repositioning of the viscera in the abdominal cavity and closure of the thoracic cavity by correcting the defect in the diaphragm muscle. After the procedure, the patient presented a gradual improvement in the dyspnea condition, being discharged on the third day of postoperative hospitalization. Despite the unfavorable prognosis due to the history of acute chronic diaphragmatic hernia, the chosen surgical technique, as well as the postoperative treatment, were effective and enabled the patient's clinical improvement.