{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,25]],"date-time":"2026-03-25T13:05:24Z","timestamp":1774443924506,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,25]],"date-time":"2026-03-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774396800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>A 10-year-old castrated male Chihuahua weighing 3.06 kg was presented with a chronic, progressively worsening cough of five months\u2019 duration. Diagnostic imaging, including thoracic radiography and computed tomography, identified a well-defined cranial mediastinal mass consistent with a thymic tumor. Surgical excision was performed via median sternotomy with complete thymectomy. Following tumor removal, sternal closure was achieved using a non-absorbable ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) suture material (FiberWire\u00ae, Arthrex, Naples, FL, USA). Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of an epithelial-predominant thymoma with narrow but complete surgical margins. Postoperative recovery was uneventful, and the dog was discharged three days after surgery. Clinical signs, including coughing, progressively improved during follow-up. Radiographic evaluation performed up to postoperative day 57 demonstrated stable sternal alignment without evidence of dehiscence, implant-related complications, or disease recurrence. This report describes the first clinical case of FiberWire use for median sternotomy closure following thymectomy in a dog. The favorable clinical and radiographic outcomes observed during postoperative follow-up suggest that FiberWire may represent a viable alternative to traditional stainless-steel wire for sternal fixation in canine thoracic surgery.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci13040311","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,25]],"date-time":"2026-03-25T09:11:14Z","timestamp":1774429874000},"page":"311","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Median Sternotomy Closure Using an Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Suture Following Thymectomy in a Dog: A Case Report"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-1218-2399","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Songju","family":"Park","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120, Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jun Suk","family":"Jo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120, Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-5984-4381","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sangyul","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120, Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-6194-2222","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Min-Young","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120, Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6237-9958","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hwi-Yool","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, 120, Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Vail, D.M., Thamm, D.H., and Liptak, J.M. 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