Management of the traumatic oronasal fistula in the cat with a conical silastic prosthetic device.

Management of a traumatic oronasal fistula with a prosthetic device in an 8-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat is described. The animal had fallen from a height of three stories at the age of 1 year. The fall had resulted in a fracture of the hard palate and a split in the palatal mucosa. Two surgical attempts to close the defect had been unsuccessful and an autopolymerizable acrylic resin prosthesis had produced unsatisfactory results. The management of the chronic traumatic fistula with a conical prosthetic device was fast, easy and efficient. The device was removed and a second one was put in place after 2 years. This method would appear particularly useful for obturation of large palatal defects that have failed to heal after attempts at surgical closure and is an alternative treatment for debilitated cats which may not be candidates for longer surgical procedures.