Application of local anaesthesia and cryosurgery for eyelid masses in dogs

BACKGROUND: Eyelid mass removal and cryotherapy application using only local anaesthesia and restraint may benefit patients with high anaesthesia risks. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and validate cryosurgery application using the CryoPen XL(®) on palpebral masses under local anaesthesia for patients not suitable for general anaesthesia. METHODS: Thirty patients underwent the procedure between November 2015 and April 2020. The procedure steps were as follows: skin preparation and local anaesthesia of the affected eyelid; debulking by resection and/or squeezing out the inspissated material; cryosurgery and post‐operative care using topical medication, antibiotics and anti‐inflammatory ointment. The medical records of the patients who underwent the operation were evaluated. Moreover, a telephonic survey with the pet owners was performed to determine recurrence, time to recurrence, survivability and side effects. RESULTS: Among the 30 owners, 29 responded to the survey. Ten (10/38, 26.3%) masses recurred with an average time to recurrence of 6.0 months. The estimated average depths for all, non‐recurred, and recurred masses were 1.89, 1.88 and 1.90 mm, respectively. The average recurrence rate and time to recurrence were higher and earlier, respectively, than previously reported values. However, no patient presented intra‐ or post‐operative complications. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that local anaesthesia and cryosurgery using the CryoPen XL(®) can be used in patients with eyelid masses who are not suitable for general anaesthesia. Compared with the surgical eyelid mass removal and blepharoplasty procedure, the reported procedure is time‐ and cost‐effective, with the additional benefit of not requiring general anaesthesia.