Soft Tissue Surgery

In Part 2 of our “Surgical Drains” series, the author discusses proper placement of the different types of drains, how to manage them after placement, and when to remove them.

Surgical drains are implants that allow removal of fluid and/or gas from a wound or body cavity. This review is part 1 of a 2-part series. Part 1 covers indications for drain use, types, benefits and drawbacks of each type, and common complications. Part 2 will cover drain placement techniques and postoperative care.

Diseases of the external and middle ear are common problems in dogs and cats. Chronic otitis externa alone accounts for approximately 10% of admissions to small animal hospitals.1 Ear disease often goes unnoticed by the owner until the disease has progressed…

Drains are placed in wounds to evacuate fluid that would otherwise accumulate due to dead space, inflammation, infection, and/or necrosis. Fluid accumulation in a wound can be detrimental because…

Daniel D. Smeak, DVM, Diplomate ACVS, and Kurtis M. Hazenfield, DVM, MS Colorado State University Certain binding knots are highly useful in achieving consistently secure ligations. Very little information is available in the human and veterinary literature describing indications and contraindications for use of binding knots for ligation, and we could find no published, wellillustrated …

Dena Lodato, DVM, MS, Animal Emergency & Referral Center, Flowood, Mississippi John Mauterer, DVM, Diplomate ACVS, Animal Emergency & Referral Center, Flowood, Mississippi This article discusses surgical techniques and corrective procedures that address brachycephalic airway syndrome. If performed early, surgery can prevent development of secondary changes associated with this condition. Brachycephalic airway syndrome (BAS) refers …

In human surgical oncology, 60% of human patients battling cancer are cured by surgery alone. Likewise, in veterinary medicine, surgery is considered the most important component of treatment in dogs and cats suffering from solid tumors because, in many cases, surgery offers the best chance for improving patients’ quality of life.

Dena L. Lodato, DVM, and Jennifer L. Wardlaw, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS In veterinary medicine, many surgical problems, including tumor resection and trauma, can result in skin defects that can be extensive and require additional repair techniques beyond undermining (separating the skin from the underlying tissue) and simple suture closure. When wide surgical margins are …

  Jeffrey J. Runge, DVM, Diplomate ACVS In both animals and humans, minimally invasive surgery has revolutionized modern surgical practices; it has significantly changed modern surgical thinking, surgical techniques, and patient care.1 Compared with similar open procedures,2 these new techniques are readily available for companion animals with proven advantages, such as: Decreased postoperative pain3 Improved postoperative …