A 12 lb. Abdominal Lipoma Surgery Case Study

Meet Dudley. He is a sweet 14-year-old Labrador retriever who presented to VSB for evaluation of a large abdominal mass. The mass had been detected a year prior via ultrasound at another veterinary practice. At that time, the mass measured 10cm in diameter and surgery was not recommended due to Dudley’s age, the potential for adhesions, and reports that the mass was slow growing. Dudley then began to exhibiting regurgitation, restlessness, and exercise intolerance. His symptoms became so pronounced that his owners returned home early from their summer vacation to seek help.

Dudley was evaluated by Dr. Vaughn and staged for surgery. Initial diagnostics suggested that Dudley was overall healthy but had mildly increased liver values. Abdominal ultrasound with Dr. Lock in our Internal Medicine Department found that Dudley’s abdominal mass had grown to a whopping 30cm. A smaller mass was also found in his liver. Once again VSB’s advanced diagnostics were called upon. CT angiography was performed to assess the masses for resectability and the mass did not involve the crucial vessels of the abdomen. The liver mass was contained within a solitary liver lobe. Dr. Vaughn’s experience and advanced training led him to believe that there was a high likelihood of the masses being resectable. Dudley’s owners elected to pursue surgery because his quality of life had deteriorated, and they could not watch him suffer any longer. Dudley had a liver lobectomy, splenectomy, and abdominal mass removal. Dudley handled surgery like a champ and suffered no complications. He almost immediately felt better from the removal of the abdominal lipoma, which weighed 12 pounds! The spleen abnormality was found to be benign. The liver tumor was hepatocellular carcinoma which was completely excised. At the 2-week postoperative recheck Dudley’s owner reported that Dudley had been rejuvenated!

There are several lessons to learn from this case. First, age is not a disease. Surgical candidacy is multifactorial, but if patients are generally healthy surgery can always be considered. This decision is a complex one that Dr. Vaughn spends a significant amount of time discussing with clients. Risk, recovery, morbidity, and cost are all weighed. Unfortunately, tumors tend to grow. Monitoring them until they become a problem often results in the necessity for larger, more complicated, and more costly procedures. Finally, Dr. Vaughn and VSB’s surgical team have the experience, training, and tools necessary to make thorough thoughtful recommendations for surgery.