Folded-flap palatoplasty performed with needle-tip monopolar electrocautery: retrospective cohort of 66 brachycephalic dogs.

Abstract Objective To evaluate short- and long-term patient outcomes retrospectively, investigate anesthetic and surgical times, and assess clinically relevant surgical wound complications associated with the use of needle-tip monopolar electrocautery for folded-flap palatoplasty. Methods This retrospective observational study included a cohort of client-owned dogs presented to a single referral hospital (2019 to 2024). All dogs underwent a standardized multilevel surgical approach, including folded-flap palatoplasty, Trader (suture-less) rhinoplasty, ala-vestibuloplasty, and tonsillectomy, as indicated. When available, surgical and anesthetic times and 14-day examinations were recorded. Short-term follow-up was performed at 6 weeks postoperatively with objective functional grading, and long-term follow-up was conducted via a telephone owner questionnaire. Results 66 dogs met the inclusion criteria. At the 6-week follow-up, significant improvement in brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome functional grades was observed. The mean (± SD) anesthetic time was 84 ± 17.59 minutes. The intraoperative complication rate was 9%. The overall postoperative complication rate was 25.7%, with 19.7% minor complications, no surgical wound complications, and a 6% mortality rate. At a median follow-up of 19 months, 94.3% of owners reported high satisfaction and 86.4% to 92.8% of dogs showed excellent improvement in respiratory and gastrointestinal health. Conclusions An acceptable overall complication rate was observed in all patients. No clinically relevant surgical wound breakdowns were observed in any patients. Clinical Relevance Needle-tip monopolar electrocautery did not increase the postoperative complication rate or worsen outcomes.