HK’s first TEER heart surgery brings 10-year-old dog back on its paws

A procedure once reserved for humans, the city’s first mitral Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER) on a canine patient, has helped a 10-year-old dog get back on its feet, offering new hope for dogs with heart valve disease.

The procedure was performed by WeHUG, an animal medical center, which adapted the minimally invasive technique to treat mitral valve disease—a common heart condition in small dogs.

The center noted the patient was a 10-year-old Pomeranian named "BB," who was diagnosed with stage B2 heart disease last August. His condition later deteriorated to stage C in May, causing a persistent cough and fluid in his lungs.

The medical team explained that the TEER procedure is performed through a small incision while the heart continues to beat. 

Guided by a 4D transesophageal echocardiogram, surgeons use a clip to fasten the mitral valve leaflets together, preventing blood from flowing backward.

Lead surgeon Chiu Po-yu said that traditional open-heart surgery carries higher risks for dogs and often requires a week or more of hospitalization. In contrast, this minimally invasive procedure allows most dogs to walk by the next day.

While medication alone results in a one-year survival rate of about 50 percent for dogs with stage C heart failure, overseas studies suggest TEER surgery can raise the two-year survival rate to between 78 and 80 percent.

Stressing the importance of a thorough pre-surgery assessment, Chiu noted the team would advise against the operation if a dog's valve is severely calcified or deformed.

The team reported that one month after the operation, BB showed significant improvement in his heart structure and a marked decrease in coughing, with his left atrial volume reduced by about 40 percent.

However, the team emphasized that the surgery is not a cure but an additional treatment option. It improves the severity of blood backflow and can help lower medication dosages, lessening the burden on organs like the kidneys in older dogs.

BB's owner, Iris, described the decision to proceed as very difficult, as she had no prior knowledge of the surgery and was worried about the risks of general anesthesia.

However, she said she gained confidence after conducting her own research and was moved to tears when she saw her dog after the successful surgery.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓