Shunt Surgery

My dog is about to see a specialist for her Liver problem and they will examine her to see is a shunt exists.  Will this surgey be risky?  Is it a common procedure enough that vets will have experience?  When they do the ultra sound will they have to use a dye?  How long will she be there for that day and what will they do?  Will the let me be there with her?  She is a sensitive dog who also is a therapy dog at our local hospital.  She means the world to us and I want to know she can get better.

[Terry Dew, D.V.M., M.S., DACVS]

Thanks for coming to MedHelp for answers to your questions on your pet's condition. Surgery to correct a liver shunt is a somewhat high-risk procedure. A lot of the risk involved depends on the condition of the patient. This procedure should be performed by an experienced surgeon, which is why you are being referred to a specialist. I would ask the specialist how many of these procedures he/she has performed, and what the success rate has been before proceeding.

The specialists you see may or may not use dye during the ultrasound. As a general rule, we do not have clients in the treatment area. Your dog will be anesthetized during the diagnostic procedure, and it is usually more traumatic for you and your pet to have you present while she is undergoing treatment.

How long your pet will stay depends, again, on the facility, the doctor in charge, and your pet's recovery. Many facilities will go from the diagnostics to surgery if indicated; this minimizes the stay and the trauma for both you and your pet. Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, you would generally receive a phone call from the surgeon letting you know the findings and his/her recommendations as well as the initial prognosis for your pet.

We perform several of these surgeries a year with a good outcome. Just take it one step at a time. It sounds like you're on the right track. Let us know how things go with your dog.

[Liv143]

Terry thank you, Gracey is going to Dallas and they will do a radio-active enema, do you know anything about this procedure?