EAST LANSING, Mich. — Jack, a Labrador retriever puppy, is living the good life only a puppy knows thanks to a new procedure that Michigan State University veterinarians used that probably saved his life.

The veterinarians used interventional radiology, a technique new to the field of veterinary medicine, to repair a liver problem in which the dog’s blood bypasses the liver and flows back into his body, resulting in poor health, neurological abnormalities and other problems.

The MSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s Minimally Invasive Therapeutics Initiative covers a wide range of procedures, including interventional radiology, laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures, and minimally invasive management of traumatic orthopedic injuries. The one thing the procedures have in common: a better experience for the patient.

When used on Jack, the procedure not only saved his life, but did so in a most comfortable way. Interventional radiology is a specialty that has been available in human medicine for more than 20 years.

“Conventional abdominal surgery for Jack’s problem is anywhere from 10 percent to 50 percent fatal,” said Matthew Beal, an MSU assistant professor of small animal clinical sciences and chief of the section of medicine, who performed the procedure along with colleague Stephen Mehler. “With this new technique, perioperative mortality is extremely rare.

“Using these procedures usually means a much smaller, if any, incision, less pain and a much quicker recovery time.”

Interventional radiology procedures require advanced imaging techniques – such as CT, MRI and fluoroscopy – as well as specially designed equipment, including catheters, stents and coils, all of which replace the standard scalpel and sutures.

In Jack’s case, using a procedure known as percutaneous transjugular coil embolization, Beal and Mehler accessed his liver via a 4 millimeter incision into the jugular vein in the neck. They were then able to do the repair work from inside the blood vessel, rather than going through the abdomen.

In another case, a standard poodle named Tazzie had a tumor in her urethra, which kept her from urinating. Normally, in a case like this, a surgeon would insert a tube in the bladder and the owner would then have to drain it multiple times daily for the rest of the pet’s life.

In this case, the owner was fairly certain she didn’t want to choose that option.

In a very quick, painless procedure, Beal and Mehler were able to place a self-expanding metallic stent in the urethra that held the tumor out of the way allowing Tazzie to urinate freely.

“In this case, it was either euthanasia or place a urethral stent,” Beal said. “The procedure was flawless, and Tazzie and her owner were able to spend four additional high quality months together before her cancer spread beyond the urethra and the decision was made to euthanize her.

“We believe it’s just a matter of time before animal owners demand for their pets the advantages they’ve witnessed or experienced themselves from these kinds of techniques,” said Mehler, an MSU assistant professor of small animal clinical sciences.

Minimally invasive surgery also is being used in the large-animal area. Surgeon John Caron, an MSU professor of large animal clinical sciences, said about 25 percent of his caseload involves minimally invasive procedures.

“The more we do the better we get,” he said. “And the better we get the more aware we are of the breadth of what’s possible. In many cases the control of hemorrhage and the quality of the repair can be even better using these techniques.”

Some of the more common uses of minimally invasive therapeutics in large animals include removal of cancerous ovaries and retained testicles, hernia repair, biopsies, and exploration of abdominal areas that are often inaccessible through standard surgical procedures.

For the past four years, Mehler has helped pioneer many new laparoscopic and thoracoscopic procedures in small animals while completing his surgery residency at the University of Pennsylvania. A 2002 graduate of the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, Mehler has joined the faculty at his alma mater to share his knowledge with his colleagues and patients.

Currently, Beal is completing a fellowship in the Interventional Radiology and Endoscopy Service at the University of Pennsylvania, the only training program of this kind in the world for veterinary medicine.

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Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and engagement for 150 years.

Michigan State is the only university in the country with three medical schools – the College of Human Medicine, the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the College of Veterinary Medicine. The human medical colleges are nationally known for the training of primary care physicians. Veterinary science has been taught at Michigan State since its founding in 1855. MSU also is home to the College of Nursing, known for its programs designed to address the nation’s nursing shortage.