Accidental cutting of a misplaced temperature probe during lung lobectomy in a dog

Authors: Trommelmans ID, Allison A, Culvenor JA
Publication: Australian Veterinary Practitioner, Volume 51, Issue 3, pp 169-173, Sep 2021
Publisher: Australian Veterinary Association

Subject Terms: Animal welfare, Emergency medicine/critical care, Surgery
Article class: Clinical Report

---

Abstract:

An 8-year-old male entire Beagle underwent a left caudal lung lobectomy to remove a pulmonary adenocarcinoma. A blindly inserted oesophageal temperature probe was used to monitor the dog’s body temperature. During the procedure it became apparent the probe had been inadvertently placed in the bronchial tree, to the level of the left caudal lung lobe, resulting in the probe being severed during the stapling process. The distal end of the temperature probe was localised in the resected lobe and the proximal part of the probe had been stapled to the remaining bronchus. The probe was dissected free from the bronchus and retracted orally and the affected bronchus was sutured manually. The dog made an uneventful recovery from surgery and is undergoing chemotherapy. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first published case in the veterinary literature of a misplaced temperature probe being cut during lung lobectomy.

It is recommended that an oesophageal temperature probe is inserted under direct laryngoscopic visualisation, especially for lung lobectomies, to confirm correct oesophageal positioning of the probe and to avoid potential serious complications.

---