Laryngeal Paralysis
Post-operative
So, what happened with Marcie after surgery?
Marcie was given a good prognosis for uncomplicated recovery and improved quality of life — in other words, she could look forward to being able to breathe more easily than before surgery.
The first 24 hours after surgery have the highest risk. There is a chance of swelling in the airway (edema), so Dr. Dew recommended that Marcie be watched at a 24-hour facility. during this time period.
One of the possible complications following arytenoid tie-back is aspiration pneumonia — in layman’s terms, this is an infection caused when saliva is inhaled into the lungs.
Symptoms of aspiration pneumonia include lethargy and loss of appetite. Untreated, this is a potentially fatal condition. Aspiration pneumonia can be diagnosed with chest x-rays and antibiotics will generally clear it up.
Marcie was sent home with a five day supply of Prednisone to reduce swelling and was given a long-acting antibiotic injection. We prefer injections over capsules that have to be given orally whenever we perform a surgery that involves the oral or respiratory system.
A long acting antibiotic was given as an injection.
Rechecks:
“Marcie” should be rechecked in 13 days by Dr. Dew. If at anytime during the healing process you wish to have Dr. Dew recheck “Marcie”, please call 479-964-4300 to schedule a recheck appointment.
Exercise Restriction:
“Marcie” should be restricted to leash activity for one month. ”Marcie” should be restricted to short leash walks in the cool of the morning and evening. At no time should she be left unattended in the yard or in a vehicle. ”Marcie” will be intolerant of hot, humid conditions for the remainder of her life.
Other Information:
Use of a harness rather than a collar, permanently, would help prevent stress on the neck.
Marcie will come back to see Dr. Dew for a recheck in a couple of weeks to make sure that she is healing as expected.
What lifestyle changes will Marcie have to make?
For one month post-surgery, Marcie will need to be exercise restricted. This means no off-leash activity (in other words, Marcie will be on one end of the leash, and her people will be holding the other end!). In fact, we actually recommend a harness in place of a leash.
Marcie will need to be restricted to short leash walks in the cool of the morning and evening during this time.
At no time should she be left unattended in the yard or in a vehicle. (Of course, NO pet should be left unattended in a vehicle!)
Marcie will be intolerant of hot, humid conditions for the remainder of her life, but with minor adjustments to her daily routine, she should do just fine!
Marcie’s mom brought her to our Russellville surgery center on May 5th. Marcie underwent arytenoid tieback on the left side. Typically, only one side needs to be operated on, as a unilateral tieback procedure will provide sufficient increase in the airway for comfortable breathing.
