Description of a novel ultrasound-guided percutaneous dilatational esophagostomy tube placement in dog cadavers.

BACKGROUND: Nutritional support has become an essential part of modern veterinary medicine. Among different techniques, esophagostomy tubes have been used extensively in dogs and cats. However, general anesthesia is typically required due to the critical step of passing an instrument orally to allow identification of the esophagus in the midcervical region. Therefore, clinicians commonly face a conundrum of poor general anesthesia candidacy for those who need an esophagostomy tube placed. Additionally, esophagostomy tubes are not a viable option for patients that have difficulty opening their mouth. Ideally, a technique that circumvents the step of passing an instrument orally would be developed.

KEY FINDINGS: We report the successful development of a novel technique for esophagostomy tube placement using ultrasound guidance and serial percutaneous dilatation of the stoma in canine cadavers. Ultrasound guidance allowed for identification and avoidance of several vital structures in the cervical region.

SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first report of an esophagostomy tube placement technique that circumvents the step of passing any instrument orally to identify the esophagus in the midcervical region. Future studies are warranted to determine if this technique can be performed in live dogs.