Soft tissue surgery encompasses any surgery not directly associated with bones or bony structures.

It may be preventative (such as desexing surgery), curative (e.g. abscess surgery), informative (such as taking biopsy samples to find out exactly what a type of tissue is) or palliative (e.g. debulking a tumour to make an animal more comfortable).

Orthopaedic Surgery

Orthopaedics is the branch of surgery which deals essentially with bones and other bone-related structures. Most of the orthopaedic surgery performed at Weston Creek Veterinary Hospital follows traumatic accidents (falls, motor vehicle accidents, twisting injuries and the like), but other surgeries include correction of congenital and developmental limb deformities.

Fracture investigation and repair in animals is very similar to that in humans. The patient is initially stabilised, then the area of injury is examined under a general anaesthetic. Following this, X-rays are taken to determine the extent of the bony injuries and the positioning of the bone fragments.

The radiographs (X-rays) are examined to determine which form of stabilisation will be used to repair the injury. A number of options are available. Each have their own advantages and disadvantages depending upon the type of fracture, and they may be used in combination.

They include:

• external splinting
• external fixation
• bone screws, plates and pins

The patient is prepared for surgery in the treatment room, and is given an antibiotic injection before being taken into theatre for the operation. Once the surgery is completed, post-operative X-rays are taken to ensure that the positioning of the repaired bones is correct.

The patient recovers in hospital and is maintained on pain relief. When they are ready to go home, the surgeon shows any radiographs to the owners and also details the home-care for the animal, including exercise restriction, medication and future rechecks.

The surgical procedure for other orthopaedic injuries (such as cruciate ligament repair) is much the same, however, other forms of diagnosis may be used. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, the structures are repaired, replaced or removed depending upon the nature and severity of the injury.