Combined omental pedicle grafts and thoracodorsal axial pattern flaps for the reconstruction of chronic, nonhealing axillary wounds in cats

Objective-To assess the results of an omental pedicle graft in combination with a thoracodorsal axial pattern flap for the reconstruction of chronic n onhealing axillary wounds in 10 cats caused by forelimb entrapment within a collar. Study Design-A prospective, clinical trial. Animals Used Ten client-owned domestic shorthair cats. h Methods-Routine biochemical and hematologic evaluation was performed on eac h cat, and all were rested for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feli ne leukemia virus (FeLV), Microbial culture was performed on samples from t he wounds. After surgical debridement, omentalization using a vascular pedi cle of greater omentum, and closure of the chronic axillary wounds, using a thoracodorsal axial pattern flap, was performed. All excised tissue was ex amined histologically. Results-The sex distribution was 7 males and 3 females. with a mean age of 3.5 years. The cats had undergone a median number of 3 previous repair atte mpts over a 1.5- to 25-month period before referral (mean, 10.2 months). No hematologic or biochemical abnormalities were noted apart from moderately elevated creatine kinase and aspartate transaminase concentrations in some cats. All cats were negative for FIV and FeLV. Histologic examination of re sected tissue revealed hair (foreign body) in 2 cats and an unidentified fo reign-body reaction in 3 other cats. Complete healing occurred in all cats (mean follow-up period of 21.7 months), with 2 cats requiring further surge ry: 1 for flap dehiscence at 4 days after surgery, and 1 fur donor-site deh iscence at 4 days after surgery. One other cat developed a large seroma in the axilla that resolved by 10 days following surgery. Conclusion-The use of an omental pedicle graft in combination with a thorac odorsal axial pattern flap is the first consistently successful I-step tech nique for the management of chronic nonhealing axillary wounds in cats. (C) Copyright 2001 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.