Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome
Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) is a prevalent respiratory disorder seen in brachycephalic dog breeds, characterized by anatomical abnormalities that impede normal airflow, leading to respiratory distress. Surgical treatments for BOAS typically target the specific anatomical abnormalities contributing to airway obstruction. Common surgical procedures include:
- Nares Resection: This procedure involves removing a wedge of tissue from the nostrils to increase airflow.
- Soft Palate Resection: The elongated soft palate often seen in affected dogs can be surgically shortened to reduce its obstruction of the airway.
- Laryngeal saccule resection: due to excessive negative pressure within the airway, these are often found to be everted in older, chronic cases.
- Tonsillectomy of the palatine tonsils
Surgical management of BOAS is supported by recent studies demonstrating the efficacy of procedures such as nares and soft palate resection. These interventions play a crucial role in alleviating airway obstruction and improving the respiratory function and quality of life for affected dogs.
At Rata, our surgeons focus on which cases are suited to being treated in a first opinion setting and will often perform a BOAS evaluation consultation ahead of a planned surgical treatment. For select cases, our surgeons will advise referral to a specialist centre for ongoing post-surgical monitoring.
Our information sheet for owners can be found here.
Laryngeal Paralysis
Laryngeal paralysis is a condition in dogs where the muscles that control the arytenoid cartilage of the larynx become weak due to nerve degeneration, either because of old age or the presence of a thoracic tumour. This results in obstruction of the airway leading to difficult and noisy breathing, often in combination with a cough. It most commonly occurs in middle-aged to older large and giant breed dogs (e.g. Labradors).
Laryngeal tieback surgery is a surgical airway procedure to address the symptoms of laryngeal paralysis. After an airway examination under sedation to confirm the diagnosis of laryngeal paralysis and thoracic x-rays to rule out the presence of a thoracic tumour, then surgery can be performed. Surgery involves placing a permanent suture between the arytenoid and cricoid cartilages via an incision on the left side of the neck, repositioning the arytenoid cartilage, which helps to keep the airway open.
Laryngeal surgery produces excellent results with improved breathing, exercise tolerance, reduced respiratory distress and over all better quality of life.
