Overview

Acquired benign esophageal strictures in cats occur secondary to severe esophagitis that extends into the muscle layers of the esophageal wall and results in scar tissue formation. The most common causes of esophagitis include chemical, thermal, traumatic, and infectious agents, persistent vomiting, esophageal foreign bodies, gastroesophageal reflux, usually occurring during anesthesia, and post pill esophagitis especially after consumption of clindamycin and doxycycline on a “dry swallow”. Therapeutic methods to achieve dilation include the use of the endoscope tip, bougies, balloon catheters, as well as surgical resection and anastomosis or a variety of technically demanding alternative surgical methods.

Learning objectives 

• Normal feline oesophagus and endoscopic findings of stricture formation
• Clinical symptoms of cats with an oesophageal stricture
• Intraluminal and extraluminal causes of oesophageal strictures
• Current classification systems for oesophagitis
• Drug-induced oesophagitis
• Diagnostic approach with imaging modalities
• Mechanical dilation of the stricture with bougies and balloon catheters
• Medical treatment of post-dilation oesophagitis

Who Should Attend:

• Veterinary surgeons
• Veterinary students

Why Attend:

• Refresh your knowledge.
• Build confidence in diagnosing strictures formation
• Acquire inputs on the potential causes and how to avoid inducing factors
• Reduce your anxiety on challenging cases of interventional/ therapeutic procedures like balloon dilation of oesophageal strictures
• Learn from a renowned and experienced speaker the step-by-step guide in choosing the ideal ballon catheter size, balloon catheter positioning, and the optimal process of dilation.

Register now for a session that promises to improve your knowledge in veterinary endoscopy.