Fistulas in Cats After Surgery

Just like humans, cats face the risk of complications when undergoing surgery. One risk is that damage accidentally caused during surgery may result in the cat developing a fistula afterward.

  1. Fistula

    • A fistula is an abnormal connection between one of a cat's organs and another structure in the body. A cat can develop a fistula in one of its airways after surgery, according to "Feline Internal Medicine Secrets."

    Symptoms

    • The fistula acts as a one-way valve, pushing hair into the cat's chest cavity around the lungs every time it inhales. This causes the cat's lungs to become compressed, resulting in difficulty breathing and lethargy.

    Causes

    • If anesthetic equipment malfunctions while a cat is undergoing surgery, it can cause an imbalance of air pressure within a cat's airways. This can cause a fistula to develop within the airway.

    Treatment

    • To treat a fistula, a veterinarian must remove the excess air from the cat's chest cavity. Then the fistula can be surgically closed.

    Considerations

    • If the lung compression caused by the fistula is not treated, the cat will not receive enough oxygen and will die.