UF canine open heart surgery program marks its first year
University of Florida (UF) Health News
By Sarah Carey
Gainesville, Florida — The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its open heart surgery program for dogs, the only one of its kind in the United States.
The program launched in August 2023 to offer mitral valve repair surgery for dogs suffering from degenerative mitral valve disease, the most common canine heart condition. In its first year, the program has performed over 40 surgeries, significantly improving these patients’ quality of life.
The program’s success stems from the expertise of Katsuhiro Matsuura, D.V.M., a veterinary cardiac surgeon who joined UF’s faculty in July 2023. Matsuura brought his considerable expertise and experience from Japan, where he had performed over 100 successful mitral valve repairs with a 90% success rate.
“We are pleased that the UF team has achieved a similar success rate, at 88%, in its first year,” Matsuura said.
Anne Dewey-Balzhiser, whose 6.5-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Lady Renegade, received the surgery, can attest to the program’s impact.
Lady Renegade had been panting excessively, a symptom that can signal heart disease, several years ago. Although it cleared, Dewey-Balzhiser had her monitored by a veterinary cardiologist in Leesburg, Virginia, near her home. In July 2023, her condition had deteriorated, and the cardiologist predicted that if she didn’t have mitral valve repair surgery, Lady Renegade was unlikely to survive beyond a year.
With the cardiologist’s help, Dewey-Balzhiser got Lady Renegade on the waiting list. In April, she had the procedure.
“Lady went from a sweet little girl who was getting more and more unable to do the activities she enjoyed without coughing to being back to her old self,” Dewey-Balzhiser said. “It’s incredible to see the look of wonderment in her eyes as she realizes her body has been rejuvenated.”
Dewey-Balzhiser said she hopes to get Lady Renegade recertified as a therapy dog, so she can return to her visits with children learning to read at the local library, and to local campuses to visit with college students.
Lady Renegade is Dewey-Balzhiser’s third dog, and came into her life in an extraordinary way.
“We lost my oldest son almost 10 years ago, due to depression,” Dewey-Balzhiser said. “A vibrant, strapping 34-year-old business owner, he took his own life. For a year before that, he kept asking me when I was going to get another dog. Three years after that cataclysmic event, we brought Lady home.”
Dewey-Balzhiser said Lady Renegade’s presence “brought me back to life.”
“I knew we had to do whatever we could to save her,” she said.
Collaborative teams within the program from cardiology, anesthesiology, perfusion, intensive care, and surgery work in seamless coordination.
Darcy Adin, D.V.M., a clinical professor and veterinary cardiology specialist who directs the program and also serves as the UF Small Animal Hospital’s chief medical officer, was instrumental in bringing Matsuura on board.
“By offering this lifesaving procedure here in the United States, we’re not only helping individual pets and their families, but we’re also advancing the field of veterinary cardiology as a whole,” she said. “This program also exemplifies our college’s commitment to transformation through innovation, as we’re truly changing the landscape of patient care.”
The surgery often allows dogs to discontinue heart medications, with their lifespan then being determined by age rather than a heart condition.
The college has initiated an open heart surgery fellowship program to train veterinarians, paving the way for similar programs at other institutions. Research that stems from the program promises to advance understanding of canine heart disease and its treatment.
For more detailed information about the program, including inclusion criteria, visit the hospital’s website at https://smallanimal.vethospital.ufl.edu/clinical-services/cardiology/surgical-repair-of-the-mitral-valve/.