• Hemipelvectomy as an exceptional treatment for problematic pelvic fractures

A second case involved a toy breed dog that presented with chronic constipation over a year after conservative (non-surgical) management of a pelvic fracture elsewhere. The fracture had healed with a mass of new bone called a callus. This and the poor alignment of the fragments had led to a narrowing of the pelvis dimensions through which the dog was struggling to pass faeces. The faeces were then accumulating “upstream” in the large bowel, causing significant distress.

Initially, we re-cut the pelvis with a bone saw and used a plate to fix it into a position with improved pelvic dimensions. The patient wasn’t amenable, and although initial results were encouraging, constipation persisted in the months following surgery. So we removed one side of the pelvis as part of hind limb amputation, and the patient could pass faeces much more efficiently, and could still get around just fine on three legs.

21st October 2013

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