EXPRESS: Ala vestibuloplasty for treatment of feline brachycephalic syndrome: a description of the procedure and long-term outcomes in 27 cats.

Ala vestibuloplasty significantly improves respiratory and gastrointestinal signs in brachycephalic cats long-term.

This retrospective questionnaire-based study evaluated the long-term outcomes of ala vestibuloplasty in 27 brachycephalic cats with clinical signs of brachycephalic syndrome. Owners completed questionnaires assessing respiratory, gastrointestinal, sleep, activity, and other clinical signs before surgery and >6 months postoperatively. Twenty-five of 27 cats (92.5%) demonstrated long-term clinical improvement at a mean follow-up of 1190 days. Median clinical severity scores significantly improved from 48 preoperatively to 17 postoperatively (p<0.0001). Significant reductions were noted in sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge, snoring, open-mouth breathing, dyspnea, and gastrointestinal signs. Activity frequency and duration increased significantly postoperatively. The authors conclude that ala vestibuloplasty is effective for treating feline brachycephalic syndrome. A minor limitation included recall bias in owner reporting of preoperative signs when compared to real-time baseline data.

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