TRADITIONAL MEDICINE :: SURGERY
Treatment: Surgery
Raymond Avenue Veterinary Hospital offers orthopedic and a broad range of surgical skills, laser surgeries, including de-clawing, and ophthalmic surgery, in our state-of-the-art surgical suite.
Advanced surgical procedures such as joint replacement (total hip, knee and elbow replacement), fracture repair, ACL treatment, oncologic (cancer) surgery, herniated disc treatment, complicated gastrointestinal or urogenital procedures, kidney transplant, skin grafts, complicated wound management, minimally invasive procedures (arthroscopy, laparoscopy, thoracoscopy), etc. are performed. Most general practice veterinarians perform routine surgery [neuters (spay and castration), minor mass excisions, etc.], some also perform additional procedures.
The goal of veterinary surgery may be quite different in pets and in farm animals. In the former, situation is a bit like in human beings, and more and more complex operations are performed, with sophisticated anaesthesia techniques. In the latter, the cost of the operation must not exceed the economic benefit in surgically treating the illness. One of the most common elective surgical procedures in animals is neutering. Neutering in animals describes spaying or castration. To spay (medical term: ovariectomy or ovario-hysterectomy) is to completely remove the ovaries and often the uterus of a female animal. In a dog this is accomplished through a ventral midline incision into the abdomen. In a cat this is accomplished either by a ventral midline abdomenal incision, or by a flank incision (more common in the UK). With an ovariectomy ligatures are placed on the blood vessels above and below the ovary and the organ is removed. With an ovariohysterectomy the ligaments of the uterus and ovaries are broken down and the blood vessels are ligated and both organs are removed. The body wall, subcutis, and skin are sutured. To castrate (medical term: orchidectomy) is to remove the testicles of a male animal. Different techniques are used depending on the type of animal, including ligation of the spermatic cord with suture material, placing a band around the cord, or crushing the cord with a Burdizzo.
Neutering is usually performed to prevent breeding or prevent unwanted behavior or future medical problems. Please see spaying and neutering for more information on the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure. Neutering is also performed as an emergency procedure to treat pyometra and testicular torsion, and it is used to treat ovarian, uterine, and testicular cancer. It is also recommended in cases of cryptorchidism to prevent torsion and malignant transformation of the testicles.
Other common elective surgical procedures in the USA is declawing in cats (onychectomy) and ear and tail docking in dogs and horses. These procedures are illegal in some countries (declawing is illegal and tail docking only allowed in working dogs in the UK) and face ethical challenges in others. Declawing consists of removal of the distal phalanges using either a scalpel, scissors, or laser.
Laser surgery offers a number of benefits, including reduced risk of infection, less post-operative pain and swelling, reduced bleeding and improved visibility of the surgical field. Better hemostasis and visibility can in some cases minimize the need for anesthesia and/or reduce overall surgical time.
