Individualized minihemilaminectomy-corpectomy in small dogs is associated with good short- and long-term outcomes.

Objective: Evaluate the outcomes of individualized minihemilaminectomy-corpectomy (iMHC) for thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation (TL-IVDH) in small dogs.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included dogs ≤ 15 kg diagnosed with TL-IVDH, treated with iMHC, and followed for ≥ 3 months at a single center between January 2019 and October 2023. A favorable outcome was defined as achieving a thoracolumbar myelopathy grade (TLMG) of 0, 1, or 2a at 3 months postoperatively. Data collected included breed, age, sex, weight, TLMG, duration of signs, prior TL-IVDH surgery, surgical site, number of affected disks, degree of spinal cord compression, Hansen type, and surgeon. Paired preoperative and postoperative neurological outcomes were compared via the McNemar test. Ordinal logistic regression identified variables associated with 3-month outcomes. A forward-backward stepwise method was used.

Results: In this population (n = 143), 24.4% of dogs had a baseline TLMG of 0, 1, or 2a. By 3 months following iMHC, 81.8% had achieved a TLMG of 0, 1, or 2a, constituting an increase of 57.4% (95% CI, 48% to 66%). Complications requiring reoperation occurred in 2.1% of cases. Multivariable analysis showed worse outcomes were associated with higher disease severity (moderate: OR, 3.5; severe: OR, 5.2) and history of TL-IVDH surgery (OR, 3.1).

Conclusions: We found that iMHC was associated with low complication rates and favorable short-, medium-, and long-term neurological outcomes in small dogs with TL-IVDH and ventral spinal cord compression.

Clinical relevance: iMHC may be considered a viable surgical option regardless of breed, Hansen type, or disease duration.