26 Apr 2023
While fitting the devices is relatively common in dogs, cats present more of a challenge.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
An Essex animal hospital has carried out a rare pacemaker operation to save the life of a 12-year-old cat.
The complex surgery on Alfie’s heart took place at Southfields Veterinary Specialists, and marks the first time the referral centre had carried out the procedure on a felid.
Fitting pacemakers in dogs is relatively common, but only a handful of the same operations are performed in cats a year, due to the unique challenges involved in the surgery.
The electrical lead of the life-saving devices are usually not placed through a vein, but must be surgically implanted while the patient is kept alive on an external pacemaker.
Alfie’s successful surgery was led by Esteban Gonzàlez Gasch, head of soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery, and Jon Wray, clinician in cardiology and internal medicine specialist, but the treatment was a multidisciplinary effort.
The cat had been initially referred out-of-hours with suspected seizures, and attended by the internal and neurology teams, but the cardiac problem was detected.
Mr Wray, who has joined Southfields from Willows, said: “Alfie began collapsing a week before referral, initially getting wobbly and falling to the floor before picking himself up. These got worse, culminating in 15 collapsing episodes in one day.
“His uncommon condition – called third degree atrioventricular block – was particularly severe and meant his heart was not able to beat properly for periods of time, leading to little or no blood being pumped to his brain, making him collapse.
“This meant Alfie required a pacemaker as a matter of urgency to save his life as his severe condition could not be treated by medication.”
Mr Wray added: “This is an unusual surgery to perform and the first time this procedure has been carried out at Southfields.
“The procedure involves placing and suturing the pacemaker lead on the beating heart and requires close coordination between the surgical, anaesthesia and cardiology teams. Very few referral centres in the UK have the combined expertise to be able to do this.
“I am delighted we were able to provide expedient, life-saving treatment for his rare condition with combined expertise of a multidisciplinary team, regardless that he became ill OOH. The operation went well, and Alfie has since returned to Southfields to re-check his pacemaker and he has made an excellent recovery.”
