Modified access-establishing technique for balloon dilation in cats with severe nasopharyngeal stenosis.

Nasopharyngeal stenosis (NPS) is a common upper airway disorder in cats, and balloon dilation (BD) is considered the least invasive treatment. However, advancing a BD catheter can be challenging in cases of severe or imperforate NPS. This technical note describes a simple access-establishing technique that enables BD in such cases. Six cats with NPS in which BD catheter passage was difficult underwent a modified procedure in which a 6-Fr tube was advanced transnasally and connected to an 8-Fr tube, enabling successful BD catheter placement in the nasopharynx. Dilation was confirmed via endoscopy, and all cases showed clinical improvement. No complications were directly attributable to the access technique. This method may facilitate BD in severe feline NPS.