Need Info On Larygeal Tie Back Surgery

[Guest MomofSweetPotatoes]

Has anyone put their pup through Tie back surgery? How was the outcome and recovery?

Doing research and each experience is either positive or negative with no inbetween. It makes discovery and decision making tough.

Was there any aspiration pneumonia or other lung involvement, post surgery?

 

How old was your pup when they went through it.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

 

 

[Guest Naty]

Kerry, we opted for tieback surgery for Troy when he was 11.5 at Tufts with a board-certified surgeon. I used the same surgeon that another LP greyhound owner (who was 13 when he had successful tieback) recommended. I would say that with the exception of his LP, we felt that he was in otherwise good health when we considered the risks. Unfortunately his first tieback failed, cause unknown. Since his LP was bad, we opted for a second surgery 2 months later. No AP experienced in either procedure. Recovery was about 2 weeks and we were happy that we opted for it, inspite of the first failure. The first few days after surgery are the most critical - you have to monitor temperature and assist him as he got used to feeding so he does not aspirate. You're welcome to call me, just send me a PM.

Edited July 5, 2008 by Naty

[Guest MomofSweetPotatoes]

Thanks Naty. Your information helps.

[dante2zoe]

my sister had a lab who had the tie-back surgery. She monitored her closely after the procedure. Kiva did really well and it was quite the success! She was older - 7? - and was able to resume all activities. It had gotten so bad that she couldn't even take a walk without being out of breath.

[Guest jurishound]

Kerri - Michael has some experience with LP surgery - I recall speaking with him about it when we were considering it for Crickie. There is also an LP group on Yahoo that I found very helpful.

[MP_the4pack]

Onyx had it a year and a half ago when she was 11. She was considered healthy otherwise. She sailed thru with flying colors. I wasn't even instructed to watch her for 2 weeks afterwards. Just watch the type of food she ate (no hard crunchy stuff that could powder and get inhaled.) She's also not to be stressed in summer heat. Other than that, no problems whatsoever. But I do tend to listen to her closely, to make sure that I don't notice changes in her cough. No AP at all.

 

She was done at the Veterinary Specialist and Emergency Center in Langhorne Pa. The surgeon came highly recommended. But I would advise to use a specialist.

 

good luck.

 

[Guest CyndiW]

Stevie had his tie-back surgery last year by a board-certified surgeon. He had just turned 11 at the time of surgery. He has had absolutely no complications and his quality of life is better than it has been in a couple of years. In fact, he seems to feel like a puppy again at times. I rolled the recommended "meatballs" for 2 weeks post-op and then switched him back to kibble but I cover it in water to make sure there are no crumbs or powder. He no longer gets any dry treats/biscuits that could crumble. Drinking after surgery has never been a problem for him. He does usually have a few good "hacks" in the morning to clear mucous out of the tie-back area but I think that is fairly normal and he has never developed AP. The Yahoo LP group is very informational. Please don't hesitate to send me a PM if you have any questions. Good luck and I think one of the keys to a successful tie-back is a board-certified surgeon who performs this surgery several times a week.

[Guest Ladyluther]

Hi Kerry,

 

Luther had tie back surgery 2 years ago in August - he was one month short of 13. LP is a progressive disease and it affects mostly older dogs - that is why I have no patience with people who continually say,"I'd never do that to an older dog" - Yeah I heard that BS from a few folks..His surgery was at Tufts..he went there as an emergency case in acute respiratory failure..his pet sitter saved his life because she was with him when he went down....Long story short. It was a complete success..I was very cautious about feeding and drinking during the first 2 months of recovery. I still am regarding eating...He still gets his kibble, but it is soaked and I feed him a portion at a time so he doesn't gulp. He has never had Aspiration Pneumonia.. Like CyndiW said, no biskies or any dry type treats. Luther is a hacker too, but not all tie back pups are for ever. Make sure your dog starts wearing a harness now if he hasn't already - no more collars..walkies only when it's cool.

 

Surgery or not depends in very great part on the overall health of your dog PLUS you need a dx from a Board certified soft tissue surgeon who knows the disease and has done many tie-backs. I'll be the first to say that not all dogs are good candidates for this surgery as you'll find on the Yahoo site. They were a wonderful help to me and Luther.

 

Please PM me anytime..this is a scary disease and you don't need to face it alone.

 

Take care and keep in touch. Smooches to all.

 

Martha and Luther

 

 

 

[Sirocco_Nikki]

In 2000, I took my 12 y.o. brittany spaniel to a board certified surgeon for a tie-back for laryngeal paralysis. This surgeon was supposed to be the top one in the state for this procedure. Two vets told me she was in great shape for a dog half her age and would fly through the recovery. The surgeon then recommended another procedure where the excess laryngeal tissue would be trimmed back. He said it would be as effective with fewer complications. Dogs are more prone to aspiration and pneumonia after the tie back. I agreed to it because I wanted to maintain her quality of life. If I had any idea of the hell I would be putting my sweet baby girl through, I never would have let her leave the house. She had major complications from the surgery: infections, dehydration, possible acute renal failure. She lost major weight because she couldn't eat. We spent $$$ on the surgery and $$$$$ on emergency vet care. Most importantly, she was never as good after the surgery as she was before. The laryngeal tissue developed a lot of scar tissue. I will never forget watching while she turned blue and gasped for air when stressed. When she finally crossed the bridge, I couldn't decide which emotion was strongest for me: guilt that I put her through it, relief it was finally over, or sadness that my girl was gone.

 

 

[Fastgals]

Girlie had tieback surgery at 13yrs 3 months - one-sided tieback. Apparently, the risk of aspiration is greatly reduced compared to a tie-back on both sides. A specialist soft tissue surgeon did her surgery - through the side of her throat (from the outside), which doesn't carry the risk of internal bleeding and scar tissue build up that making an incision inside the throat may. Girlie did wonderfully well. I was extremely careful with her food for about 3 weeks post surgery - handfeeding her for a week, so that she didn't try to gulp her food down too quickly. She was on a strict diet of cubes of raw meat, which was fine, because she was on a full raw diet already. A week before surgery, Girlie had had a life threatening respiratory attack, where she came close to asphyxiating. Post surgery, she breathed beautifully, normally, the regular bouts of panting stopped, she could cope with the heat (it was during our summer) and "stress", she stacked much-needed weight on her previously very skinny frame and was comfortable and happy. Surgery gained her another 8 comfortable and contented months, before cancer snatched her away. Worth every dollar! Oh, and no aspiration problems. I watched her drinking for the first few days, heart in mouth, but no aspiration.