Veterinarians at Washington State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital have successfully treated a cat with three brain tumors by performing an intense, innovative surgery that involved creating a model of the cat’s skull and then 3D printing a new skull for him. It was a medical first for Dr. Annie Chen-Allen, the neurologist who treated Linus, a 9-year-old tabby. Dr. Chen-Allen knew from the start that it would be a challenging surgery because Linus had multiple brain tumors. The tough part was that it was going to be a very extensive surgery, as doctors needed to remove extensive parts of the skull in order to access all three tumors in one craniotomy. After removing the skull, the brain swelled and Linus’s blood pressure dropped so low that doctors had to stop surgery and give him a blood transfusion. After waiting another 5 days for Linus to recover, they went back in for a second surgery. The second surgery went very well, despite working around a swollen brain, and doctors were able to remove all the tumors and reconstruct the skull without any complications. Linus went home a week later, returning 4 months post-surgery for radiation therapy. Linus is currently neurologically normal and back to his playful self. The owners are very happy with how he’s doing and hope that he enjoys several more years of quality life.
