Urethral Stenting for Obstructive Uropathy Utilizing Digital Radiography for Guidance: Feasibility and Clinical Outcome in 26 Dogs

BACKGROUND Urethral stent placement is an interventional treatment option to alleviate urethral outflow obstruction. It has been described utilizing fluoroscopy, but fluoroscopy is not as readily available in private practice as digital radiography. OBJECTIVES To describe the use of digital radiography for urethral stent placement in dogs with obstructive uropathy. ANIMALS Twenty-six client-owned dogs presented for dysuria associated with benign and malignant causes of obstructive uropathy that underwent urethral stent placement. METHODS Retrospective study. RESULTS Causes of obstructive uropathy included transitional cell carcinoma, prostatic carcinoma, hemangiosarcoma, obstructive proliferative urethritis, compressive vaginal leiomyosarcoma, and detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia. Survival time range was 1-48 months (median, 5 months). All dogs were discharged from the hospital with urine outflow restored. Intraprocedural complications included guide wire penetration of the urethral wall in 1 dog and improper stent placement in a second dog. Both complications were successfully managed at the time of the procedure with no follow-up problems noted in either patient. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Urethral stent placement can be successfully performed utilizing digital radiography. The complications experienced can be avoided by more cautious progression with each step through the procedure and serial radiography. The application of digital radiography may allow treatment of urethral obstruction to become more readily available.