Video telescope operating monitor-assisted surgery is equivalent to conventional surgery in treatment of cervical intervertebral disc herniation in dogs

OBJECTIVETo compare the use of the video telescope operating monitor (VITOM) and use of a conventional unassisted surgical method for treatment of cervical intervertebral disc herniation in dogs. ANIMALS39 dogs with cervical intervertebral disc disease.METHODSProspective study. Dogs were prospectively nonrandomly assigned to either the VITOM (n = 19) or conventional surgery (20) group depending on VITOM system availability. Signalment and preoperative neurologic status were recorded for all dogs. Preoperative and postoperative CT myelography was performed to compare intervertebral space location, spinal cord dimensions at the decompression level, ventral slot dimensions, and residual disc mate-rial. Surgical complications and postoperative neurologic outcomes were recorded. Data were compared between the 2 groups using fixed-effects or mixed-effects models to consider double reading of CT myelography images.RESULTSNo significant differences were noted between the 2 groups regarding the decompression ratio (P = .85), vertebral length body ratio (P = .13), ventral slot width ratio (P = .39), residual disc material (P = .30), and sinus bleeding (P = .12). No significant differences were found between the 2 groups regarding postoperative neurologic grade (P = .17).CLINICAL RELEVANCEVITOM-assisted ventral slot decompression is equivalent to conventional surgery in treatment of cervical interver-tebral disc herniation in dogs. The use of VITOM remains a good alternative to the conventional surgical method.