Venovo venous stent for percutaneous treatment of intrahepatic portosystemic shunts in 14 dogs.

Abstract

Objective: To present single-center data for the Venovo venous stent as an alternative option during percutaneous transvenous coil embolization (PTCE) in dogs with a congenital intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.

Animals: 14 client-owned dogs in a retrospective case series.

Clinical presentation: All dogs were referred for PTCE intervention and had varying degrees of clinical signs. Dogs were medically managed before PTCE. Medical records of dogs that underwent PTCE using a Venovo stent from 2020 through 2024 were reviewed for relevant periprocedural data, adverse events, and outcomes.

Results: 14 dogs with a mean body weight of 19.5 kg (SD, 6.9 kg) underwent PTCE with implantation of a Venovo stent. The mean caudal vena cava diameter cranial to the shunt orifice was 15.4 mm (SD, 2.8 mm) and caudal to the shunt orifice was 17.5 mm (SD, 3.7 mm). A single Venovo stent was used for each dog, with a median diameter of 18.0 mm (IQR, 14.0 to 20.0 mm) and a mean length of 91.4 mm (SD, 21.8 mm). The mean ratio of stent size to vena cava diameter was 1.0 (SD, 0.1) caudal to the shunt orifice and 0.9 (SD, 0.1) cranial to the shunt orifice. Postoperative radiographs in all dogs revealed appropriate stent and coil position with no outward migration or fracture.

Clinical relevance: The Venovo venous stent is a viable option for stent selection when planning for PTCE. The Venovo stent can be generally sized 1:1 to the vessel, and oversizing to the caudal vena cava is unnecessary.