Surgery & Wound Management

Hernia refers to the abnormal protrusion of an organ or tissue through a normal or abnormal opening in the abdominal muscles or in the diaphragm. The term is commonly used to denote bulging of organs through the muscular part of the abdominal wall.

An understanding of the functional anatomy is the prerequisite for successful application of the fracture fixation devices in the unfamiliar location of the mandible. These biomechanical principals must account not only for the very large forces generated, but also the position of the teeth that can – and often do – interfere with implant application.

Biopsy and histologic examination should be a part of essentially every exploratory laparotomy in which a direct surgical diagnosis cannot be reached. Relying on gross evaluation and interpretation alone during an exploratory laparotomy will assure that a correct definitive diagnosis will not be reached in some cases.

The liver, the largest gland in the body, is divided into six lobes (from a surgical perspective): left lateral, left medial, right lateral, right medial, quadrate, and caudate lobes. The caudate lobe has two processes - papillary and caudate. Biopsy of the liver is frequently performed during exploratory laparotomy.

A controversy exists in the veterinary field as to which surgical technique is the best to repair a dog's knee that has a cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) injury. There are many accepted surgical techniques described (over 40 different methods) to correct the CrCL-deficient joint.

Severe fractures of the femur can be divided into those fractures which must be reconstructed directly and those that can (and should) be reconstructed indirectly. The former include both intra-articular and periarticular fractures of the femoral head and femoral condyles, and diaphysis in the latter.

Restorative dental problems, although not as involved as those in human dentistry, can be very technique-sensitive and difficult to resolve. The resolution of particular problems is usually dependent upon the choice and imagination or inventiveness of the operator.

Reptile surgery can be very complicated. Luckily in this day & age of Reptile Medicine, we are afforded several options for anesthetic as well as surgical techniques. This lecture will present a few in order to give an overview of some of the current options available to the practitioner.

As with any surgical procedure in any species; prior to cutting it is important to familiarize oneself with the relevant anatomical and physiological details of the species. A very detailed discussion of these two topics is beyond the scope of this presentation but the reader is strongly advised to familiarize oneself with these topics by the references listed below.

Reptile surgery is performed under general anesthesia, observing sterile technique, with appropriate monitoring and supportive care. The true strength layer for reptiles is the skin. To prevent dysecdysis after a skin incision heals, an everting suture pattern is used.

Can patients with this disease be treated successfully with surgery?

Always perform aggressive medical therapy when treating tracheal collapse.

Columbia, Mo. - While Dr. James Cook decided early on in life to tackle joint replacements, it was a circuitous route-a path that involved professional water skiing, substitute teaching and a man named Robert Gordon-that led him to the brink of a major discovery.

Stay sutures keep ears in perfect position.

How to diagnose and effectively treat GI obstructions.

Why laminitis is not a big concern when performing this procedure.

Why you may want to consider a total hip replacement in a large dog.

When and how to perform this procedure.

A challenge with using this procedure.

A new study hypothesizes that surgical vs. medical treatment would result in different survival times.

Why surgery is likely the best option.

Signs of intervertebral disk disease in dogs.

Drs. Joseph Bojrab and Philip VanVranken talk about surgical technique, suture choices, and more.

A kid reconsiders his veterinary aspirations after suiting up for a surgery.

The most effective way to ensure that animals adopted from shelters do not reproduce is to spay or neuter them before adoption.