Short‐term outcomes of dogs and cats undergoing lung lobectomy using either a self‐ligating loop or a thoracoabdominal stapler

ObjectiveTo assess clinical outcomes of lung lobectomies in dogs and cats using either self‐ligating loops (SLLs) or thoracoabdominal (TA) staplers, aiming to inform sample size calculations for future superiority trials.Study designRetrospective study.AnimalsA total of 72 dogs and 15 cats.MethodsRecords from January 2003 to October 2023 at a single institution were reviewed. Cases with lung lobectomy performed via TA stapler or SLL with a minimum 14‐day postoperative follow‐up were included. Pre‐, intra‐, and postoperative data were collected, with outcomes of interest including the frequency of intra‐ and postoperative complications. Outcome comparisons between techniques were performed to inform sample size calculations.ResultsA total of 101 lung lobectomies were performed. The TA stapler was used in 83 (82.2%) and the SLL in 18 (17.8%) lung lobectomies. Intraoperative complications were identified in 14/101 lung lobectomies (13.9%), including intraoperative hemorrhage in 12/101 lobectomies (11.8%) and air leakage in 2/101 lobectomies (1.9%). Postoperative complications were identified in 12/87 cases (13.8%), including 4 (4.6%) catastrophic complications and 5 (5.8%) major complications. All intra‐ and postoperative complications occurred in cases having undergone stapled lung lobectomy; however, no differences were identified between surgical technique and either intraoperative (p = .069) or postoperative complications (p = .112). A sample size of 103 lobectomies per technique group would be required for appropriate evaluation.ConclusionLung lobectomy using either surgical technique provided a good short‐term outcome in this population.Clinical significanceSelf‐ligating loop lung lobectomy provided a comparable alternative to stapled lung lobectomy. Further studies are needed to assess technique superiority.