Cody's liver
shunt procedure
Meet Cody, a sweet 7-year-old Shih Tzu who recently underwent a liver shunt procedure.
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A liver shunt is an abnormal blood vessel that allows blood from the digestive system, to bypass the liver, causing potentially serious medical complications. Surgery is designed to help his liver function more normally by redirecting blood flow through the liver.
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Before the procedure, Cody received an epidural anaesthetic from our vet Sam, who has a special interest in anaesthesia and has also undertaken specialist training in analgesia. During the surgery, our veterinary surgeons: Simon and Laurie located and isolated the abnormal shunting vessel and placed a device called an Ameroid Constrictor around it. This closes the abnormal vessel in a gradual and controlled manner, which allows the previously under-used blood vessels within the liver to develop without excessively high blood pressure in the portal vein (portal hypertension) which can be extremely dangerous.
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As always our highly skilled nursing team was on hand to carefully monitor Cody during his procedure and during the crucial phase immediately after the surgery. Providing one-to-one attention for all our patients after surgery is vital to ensure a safe smooth recovery following anaesthetic or sedation.
Cody's recovery
Cody stayed with us for a little sleepover, during which he was monitored closely by our veterinary nurse, Claudia!
We are happy to report that Cody is doing very well since his procedure and is following his post-operative instructions. It’s important to feed Cody a protein-restricted diet for a minimum of six to eight weeks.
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