Beloved bulldog cross-breed undergoes life-saving keyhole heart surgery at Swindon vets

A bulldog cross-breed, Stan, is enjoying life after a successful pioneering heart surgery at a local Swindon animal hospital.

Nine-year-old Stanley’s heart problem was first discovered by Linnaeus-owned Eastcott Veterinary Referrals in Swindon, when he was being scanned for a separate hip issue.

Following discussion with his owners, the specialist-led cardiology team at Eastcott carried out a rare, minimally invasive procedure to access Stanley’s heart via a large vein in his neck and then implant a stent to relieve the pressure being caused by a heart base tumour.

Stanley is said to have made a strong recovery from the keyhole surgery and is enjoying being back at home with his family – in particular, partaking of his favourite pastime of sleeping.

Grateful owner Kay Webb, from Witney in Oxfordshire, said: “Eastcott detected Stanley had a mass on his heart and this was restricting the flow of blood to his organs.

“They recommended inserting a stent to ease the congestion. We were obviously worried but hoped it would give him a better quality of life.

“Stanley is now back home following the operation and he’s very happy to continue his favourite pastime of sleeping, together with playing games and doing training exercises, and enjoying local walks.”

Kieran Borgeat, clinical director at Eastcott and an American, European and RCVS Specialist in veterinary cardiology, said: “Eastcott’s cardiology team planned this keyhole surgery to relieve the compression of Stanley’s blood vessels, in order to improve Stanley’s cardiac output and prevent him from developing signs of liver congestion and heart failure.

“For this to be done, Stanley’s heart was accessed using specialized catheters and wires through the jugular vein in his neck, while the procedure was guided by fluoroscopy. We deployed a stent which would lift the tumour up and open the blood vessel, from within the vessel itself.

“We are pleased that the trans-atrial stent was successfully deployed and normal blood flow was restored. Stanley was able to go home the following day even though it was complex operation. This highlights one of the huge benefits of minimally invasive surgery – a low level of risk and predictable, rapid recovery for most patients.”

“It’s great to see Stanley recover so well, returning to normal exercise and activity levels.”

More information about Eastcott Referrals can be found online at www.eastcottreferrals.co.uk or by searching for Eastcott Veterinary Referrals on social media.