Surgery & Wound Management

What is a successful outcome of juvenile pubic symphysiodesis surgery?

A variation to a routine closed castration in horses.

Tips for performing this knot.

This condition may be more common than you think, so evaluate all dogs with increased calcium concentrations.

Orthopedic infections should also be thought of as infections involving the bones (osteitis or osteomyelitis), joints and surrounding support structures (periostitis, myelitis, cellulitis). Typically when we think of orthopedic infections we think of infections resulting after orthopedic surgery.

Surgical implications of the following conditions are discussed: pulmonary neoplasia, spontaneous pneumothorax, and pyothorax. Pulmonary lobectomy (partial and complete) and postoperative management recommendations are included.

The choice of surgical approach depends largely on the type of access needed for the thoracic surgery. Intercostal thoracotomy and median sternotomy are the two most commonly performed approaches in small animals. Be certain to clip and prepare a large enough area to anticipate placement of a thoracostomy tube and the potential need to extend the incision.

Perianal fistula is a specific disease of the canine characterized by ulcerating fistulous tracts, often with a malodorous purulent discharge around the anal orifice. The tracts are usually infected and filed with chronic inflammatory tissne. The extremely severe and chronic cases the tracts may extend to the lumen of the rectoanal canal, becoming true fistulas.

The coxofemoral joint is a ball and socket joint. Normal stability of the hip is provided through a combination joint capsule, ligament of the head of the femur and dorsal acetabular rim. In addition, the joint fluid and acetabular labrum including the ventral acetabular ligament and extraarticular soft tissue structures such as the gluteals, adductors and abductors of the hip joint provide secondary stability.

There are more and more options out there for our patients in the way of braces, orthotics and assistive devices. They can provide much needed help during or after rehab, surgical recovery, as an alternative to surgery and our geriatric patients.

No matter what anesthetic protocol is chosen, the addition of adequate analgesia is imperative for safe anesthesia. Most anesthetic agents, including the anesthetic gases, block the brain's response to pain but don't actually block pain. If the pain is severe enough, the brain can still respond and make the animal appear to be inadequately anesthetized.

The goal in management of open fractures is to prevent further contamination, prevent additional damage to the bone and surrounding soft tissues especially nerve and vascular supplies and facilitate timely stabilization.

The workload of a police dog or a bird dog creates varying medical issues which can be dependent upon their physical condition. If they are not conditioned to handle the workload exertional medical problems can arise. Another cause of medical problems in these dogs is related to the environments in which they work.

Complications associated with intestinal surgical procedures can be reduced by attentiveness to the principles of intestinal surgery and appropriate use of ancillary procedures such as serosal patching.

Disorders of the upper airway occur commonly in brachycephalic breeds of dogs. Chief client complaints include excessive respiratory noise, reduced exercise tolerance, heat intolerance, and dyspnea.

Lameness is defined as a variance from normal gait. There are two types of lameness: anatomical and pathologic. Anatomical lameness may not necessarily be from pain, and can be genetic or acquired. Chondroplasia in the Alaskan Malamute is a genetic condition that would produce lameness.

The distal limb is exposed to many traumatic events as a result of its almost constant interaction with the ground. The distal limb is defined as the anatomical structures from the carpus to the distal end of the front and rear limbs. In this area the skin has minimal muscle and fat under it for cushion.

Animal movement has been a subject of research for a long period of time. Both qualitative and quantitative gait analyses have been used to analyze canine movement. Veterinarians, breeders, owners, and trainers all can potentially benefit from the recent advances in gait analysis.

The veterinary profession is currently witnessing an increased demand from our clientele for information concerning performance of the canine athlete. The expectations come as a result of the scientific advancements in human sports medicine. If a pet owner is only interested in companionship, minimal stress will be placed upon the pet's body.

The stomach is a C-shaped musculoglandular organ. It has the largest dilatation of the alimentary canal. The stomach lies mainly in a transverse position, Predominantly to the left of the median plane. When it is empty, the stomach lies cranial to the last rib and between the ninth thoracic and first lumbar vertebra.

The patella or kneecap is the largest sesamoid bone in the body and one of 4 in the stifle, the other three being the 2 of the gastrocnemius and the popliteal muscle. The patella lies within the tendon of insertion of the quadriceps muscle. The part of the tendon between the apex or distal aspect of the patella and its insertion on the tibial tuberosity is called the patellar ligament.

The most significant change in recent years in the management of fractures has been the more recent emphasis on "biologic fixation" as opposed to "mechanical fixation". The latter refers to the direct fixation techniques whereby fractures are reconstructed anatomically, and the former refers to indirect fixation techniques whereby the fractures are spanned (or "bridged").

Intestinal resection and anastomosis is a relatively commonly performed surgical procedure in small animals. Observing surgical principles and utilizing selected ancillary techniques help to reduce complications.

Surgical procedures performed on the spleen include biopsy, partial splenectomy, and total splenectomy. Techniques employed for each procedure varies with the clinical presentation and, to some degree, surgeon preference. Splenic disease represents an important source of morbidity and mortality in aging dogs.

This text is not intended to cover each and every aspect relating to wounds presented in veterinary medicine. It is, however, designed as a simplified handbook, which will assist members of the veterinary medical team in properly assessing patients and their wounds.