Surgery for partial atrioventricular septal defect with pulmonary hypertension in an adult dog

A 4-year-old, 5.9-kg female Japanese Spitz presented with syncope and exercise intolerance. Echocardiography revealed an ostium primum atrial septal defect (ASD), a cleft mitral valve, mitral valve regurgitation (MR), and tricuspid regurgitation (TR) (velocity: 3.6 m/sec, pressure gradient: 52 mmHg), leading to a diagnosis of partial atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) with moderate pulmonary hypertension (PH). Open-heart surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass was performed through right atriotomy. The cleft of the mitral valve was sutured with polypropylene and the AVSD was closed using an autologous pericardial patch fixed with glutaraldehyde. No postoperative pulmonary hypertensive crisis occurred. Shunting flow through the ASD, TR and PH had completely disappeared 2 months postoperatively; however, moderate MR persisted. The dog is still alive 5 years postoperatively without clinical signs.