A retrospective study on traumatic diaphragmatic hernias in cats

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical and surgical findings of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in 52 cats and to determine the association with mortality rate. The medical and surgical records of fifty two cats that underwent surgical repair for traumatic diaphragmatic hernia were reviewed retrospectively. Survival rate was 82.7% (43/52) in cats. The most frequently herniated organ was liver (81%). This was followed by small intestines (67%), stomach (48%), omentum (38.5%), spleen (25%), pancreas (13.5%) and large intestines (8%) respectively. Thirty-one cases had acute and 21 cases had chronic diaphragmatic hernia and mortality rate was 16.1% and 19% respectively. Although the majority of the rupture was in the right side, death was not recorded in these cases. The mortality rates according to the rupture sites were 57% in central, 24% in ventral and 19% in the left side. On the other hand, it was recorded that the mortality rate was associated with the amount of organ herniation. The more excessive amount of organ herniation resulted in higher mortality rate. It was concluded that mortality rate could be related to the location of hernia, amount of herniated organs and time from trauma to the surgery.