Evaluation of risk of dehiscence in dogs and cats after gastrotomy.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of dehiscence after surgical gastrotomy in dogs and cats. A secondary objective was to determine factors associated with dehiscence. Electronic medical records were searched for patients (141 dogs and 71 cats) undergoing gastrotomy from 2012 to 2024. Data collected included age, sex, additional procedures done under the same general anesthesia, presence and duration of surgical hypotension, comorbidities, long-term medications, use of a 1- or 2-layer closure, suture pattern of closure, pre-operative lactate and albumin concentrations, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status, whether or not surgery was done after-hours, a Board-certified surgeon was present, and dehiscence was confirmed. Two of 212 (0.94%) animals had a confirmed gastrotomy dehiscence based on diagnosis of septic peritonitis peri-operatively. These patients had only a gastrotomy, with no other surgical procedures. The dehiscence rate was too low and uncommon to statistically evaluate factors associated with dehiscence after gastrotomy. Confirmed gastrotomy dehiscence rates appeared lower than previously reported in the small intestines. As it was not possible to determine specific factors associated with an increased risk of dehiscence, further studies are required to identify and evaluate such factors.