Owner Satisfaction Following Radical Otectomy in Cats

Introduction:
Radical otectomy is indicated in cats with a tumor of the pinna. The final histologic diagnosis is commonly squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) in older animals. The objectives of this study were to quantify the impact of radical otectomy on owners and assess the postoperative outcome in elderly patients.

Materials and methods:
The medical records of all cats with unilateral or bilateral otectomy were retrospectively reviewed and a follow-up questionnaire was filled by phone interviews.

Results:
35 cats were included with 60% bilateral otectomy. The average age at the time of surgery was 12.2 years (range 7-18 years). All cats had ears totally or partially white and had access to the outside. 94% of owners were satisfied with the surgery and 91% were satisfied with the cosmetic result. The average survival time was 18.5 months. The recurrence rate was 29% with 80% of cats with recurrence being euthanized. The average survival time of patients with tumor recurrence was 28 months postoperatively. 32% of the patients were 15 years and older with an average survival time of 14 months.

Discussion / Conclusion:
The vast majority of the owners (more than 90%) were satisfied with the radical otectomy surgery, especially with regards to the well-being of their animal or their aesthetic aspect. Cats that were 15-year-old or more had a similar survival time than all cats. Tumour recurrence did not appear to reduce the life expectancy.