Study supports ligature-based lung lobectomy in dogs and cats

A retrospective study in Veterinary Surgery reviewed perioperative outcomes for 80 veterinary patients, including 65 dogs and 15 cats, that underwent 94 total lung lobectomies using a hilar circumferential ligature technique rather than stapling devices. The authors reported an intraoperative hemorrhage rate of 4.3%, with no significant difference between commercial pre-tied ligature loops and hand-tied circumferential ligatures, supporting the technique as a low-complication option for lung lobe removal in small animal patients. The paper adds to a growing body of literature comparing lower-cost ligature-based approaches with stapler-assisted lobectomy in dogs and cats. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Why it matters: For veterinary surgeons and referral teams, the findings suggest hilar circumferential ligation may be a practical alternative when stapling equipment is unavailable, cost-prohibitive, or not well matched to patient size. That matters because many stapling devices were developed for human surgery and may not be optimized for small animal thoracic anatomy, while prior veterinary data on open-approach stapled lobectomy have also shown favorable outcomes, giving clinicians another benchmark for technique selection. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: Further comparative work, especially prospective studies that directly assess ligatures versus staplers by case type, patient size, cost, and long-term outcomes, will help clarify where each approach fits best in practice. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)