High Anesthetic Risk Case


A 11-year-old Dachshund named Marty was brought to Veterinarium for dental extractions. 

The patient was diagnosed with a severe cardiac condition, dilated cardiomyopathy, ACVIM stage C3, meaning that both the systolic and diastolic functions of the heart were significantly impaired and the heart was struggling to maintain stable hemodynamics.

In such cases, anesthetic risk is extremely high, since hemodynamic instability during anesthesia can lead to life threatening complications. 

However, Marty’s teeth were so severely damaged that a painful abscess had developed, making surgical intervention unavoidable. The situation was further complicated by the fact that his fractional shortening was only 10%, indicating critically reduced cardiac contractility.

Veterinarium’s anesthesiologist and cardiologist Natia Robakidze carefully evaluated the patient’s clinical condition and developed an individualized anesthetic protocol tailored specifically for such a complex cardiac case.

As a result, the patient remained under anesthesia for 2 hours and 20 minutes without any complications. Throughout the procedure, and with considerable effort, blood pressure, ECG parameters, and heart rate were maintained within stable ranges.

This case represents one of the most challenging anesthetic cases in Veterinarium’s history. Its successful management was also possible thanks to Natia Robakidze’s advanced training in the internationally accredited ESAVS cardiology program, which allows her to thoroughly understand and manage both anesthetic and cardiac processes.

To ensure the safest possible dental procedure, Veterinarium’s general practitioner and veterinary dentist Barbare Kurtsikidze first performed dental radiography of the jaw to accurately identify the infected and affected teeth. Marty then underwent dental extractions and full oral cavity sanitation.