PULMONARY LOBECTOMY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PNEUMONIA IN 5 CATS

Five cats underwent lobectomy for the management of pneumonia, The mea n presurgical duration of treatment was eight months, A potentially im munosuppressive disease process was present preoperatively in two of t he five cats, Preoperatively, two of the cats had radiographically dif fuse pneumonia, while three had focal pneumonia, A single pulmonary lo be was removed in four cats, with one cat having two pulmonary lobes r emoved, There were no life-threatening complications and no clinical r ecurrence noted during a mean follow-up period of 37.8 months, The ben efit of pulmonary lobectomy in focal pneumonia may lie in removing the nidus of infection, In diffuse, chronic or medically refractory pneum onia, obtaining an aetiological diagnosis may be the main benefit of l obectomy, Selective lobectomy for the treatment of pneumonia may be be neficial but a thorough preoperative evaluation is warranted.