NEWS NOTES

Minimally Invasive Technique Helped Lamb, Could Someday Help Foals

By Sheri Hall

A team of Cornell veterinarians successfully repaired a rare congenital defect affecting the vessels around the esophagus of a lamb using a minimally-invasive technique. Not only did this procedure save the sheep’s life, but it opens the door to treating other large animals, particularly foals, with this congenital defect.

Petey, a babydoll wether lamb, was born with a vascular ring anomaly, an embryonic vessel that turned into a ligament which wrapped around his esophagus, preventing him from swallowing. As a result, he was malnourished, and his growth was stunted. The team used a scope and minimally invasive surgical tools to dissect the ligament from the esophagus and then cut it.

“I’m proud of the procedure because it brought together so many specialists from the small and large animal medicine sides,” said Nicole Buote, DVM, associate professor of small animal surgery and the lead surgeon on the case. Dr. Buote, an expert in minimally invasive surgery, typically performs this procedure on dogs.

Four other Cornell veterinarians worked on the case. Katharyn Mitchell, DVM, PhD, BVSc, DACVIM (LAIM), chief of large animal internal medicine, initially learned about Petey’s case on an academic veterinary listserv. She coordinated the team and looked after Petey before and after surgery, while assisting in surgery by shining an endoscopic light down Petey’s esophagus that allowed the team to see the constriction clearly.

Eileen Hackett, DVM, professor of large animal surgery, provided her expertise in minimally invasive surgical techniques on sheep. Peter V. Scrivani, DVM, associate professor of diagnostic imaging, reviewed the imaging studies that allowed the Cornell team to identify the defect and plan the surgery. And Stephanie Hon, DVN, assistant professor of anesthesiology, managed the anesthesia for the surgery, which involved purposely collapsing part of Petey’s lungs to improve the field of vision for the surgeons.

Before the procedure, the team was not completely confident about Petey’s chances for recovery because veterinary literature reported that previous surgeries for this defect in alpacas resulted in many complications. But the minimally invasive techniques made a big difference for Petey, Dr. Mitchell said.

“Because of our minimally invasive approach, his recovery was extraordinarily smooth,” she said. “It was remarkable how quickly he recovered from anesthesia, and his lung recovered from the collapse. The biggest problem we had was stopping him from overeating!”

After the surgery, the Cornell team built a special raised box to elevate Petey’s head while he ate. They had to use a muzzle to prevent him from eating his straw bedding.

The Cornell veterinary team hopes they will be able to help other large animals—particularly foals—with this defect in the future.

Petey is from the Avalon Nature Preserve, a 216acre preserve in Stony Brook, NY, that includes a restored farm. Preserve Director Kathy Griffiths noticed Petey’s struggles to swallow and gain weight after he was weaned. She reached out to a professor at the Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine, who examined Petey and posted his case on the listserv.

“We brought him home with a modified diet, but the prognosis wasn’t great,” Ms. Griffiths said. “When Cornell reached out to say they may be able to help, we figured was the best way to give him a fighting chance. We also really liked the idea of possibly helping other animals down the line.”

Typically, foals with this defect are euthanized.

“This really was a perfect storm of a wonderful owner who had the financial means to do this, and a dream team here,” Dr. Buote said. She hopes more people will recognize the technique can havae a good outcome.

In the meantime, Petey has fully recovered and rejoined his flock at the nature preserve. “By all visual signs, he is thriving,” Ms. Griffiths said.

That’s exactly the outcome the Cornell team wanted. “Petey is extremely lucky that his owners were motivated to get a diagnosis and provide a solution,” Dr. Mitchell said. “This was an opportunity to help a young animal have a normal life. It’s an exciting for us to be able to intervene early and make a difference.” MeV

The article originally appeared on the Cornell website and was edited for space and style. https://bit.ly/439o3RD-MeV