Surgical Suite
The
surgical suite prepared for a patient.
At Care-Pets, our state of the art Surgical Suite allows us to
provide a sterile environment to perform a variety of surgical
procedures. The suite has a "positive pressure" system
keeping the air pressure in the suite higher than the pressure in
the rest of the hospital to prevent airborne micro-organisms from
entering. Also, all staff members entering the suite
follow standard procedures, such as using masks and caps, to
prevent other pathogens from being brought into the area.
Surgical Instruments
All surgical instruments go through a multi-step process to
ensure sterility. These steps include manual cleaning (good
old-fashioned elbow grease), ultrasonic cleaning, packaging the
instruments in pouches or trays indicating sterility, and finally
steam sterilization.
Pre-anesthetic Procedures
After each use, surgical instruments are
thoroughly cleaned then sterilized.
Prior to performing a surgical procedure we strongly recommend a
blood chemistry profile and complete blood count to ensure that
your pet is in the low risk category. These tests assess
anemia, hydration, infection, clotting, and liver and kidney
values. We also recommend placement of an IV catheter and
administration of IV fluids. This allows quick access to a
vein in case of an anesthetic complication. The fluids, which
are given through the catheter, help to keep the patient's blood
pressure in the normal range therefore reducing the chance of an
anesthetic complication.
Anesthetics and Monitoring
In order to prevent pain and anxiety during a surgical
procedure, we generally give your pet a pre-anesthetic agent that
provides sedation and pain control. During the procedure,
your pet is maintained on a combination of oxygen and an inhalant
anesthetic. While your pet is under the anesthetic he/she is
monitored by both a mechanical blood pressure monitor and a trained
staff member. Many patients are given a reversal agent after
the procedure to speed the recovery process.
Your pet's health is as important to us as it is to you.
Therefore, in the majority of our surgical procedures the laser
replaces the traditional scalpel. Laser technology reduces
the trauma to your pet, improves recovery, and often shortens
hospital stays.
Why laser surgery? First, your pet feels less
pain post-operatively because laser energy seals nerve endings
as it moves through tissue. Second, the laser seals small
blood vessels during surgery which allows your doctor to perform
surgeries with extraordinary precision. This results in
less bleeding and speeds some procedures reducing the need
for prolonged anesthesia. Finally, laser energy does not
crush, tear or bruise because only a beam of intense light contacts
the tissue which means less swelling.
Common Procedures
- Ovariohysterectomy (Spay)
- Castration (Neuter)
- Declaw
- Dental Cleaning
- Mass Removal
- Exploratory
- Aural Hematoma Repair
- Amputation
- Cystotomy
- Splenectomy
After a surgical or dental procedure each patient is bedded down
in our Surgical Recovery Room. The patient is "recovered" in
an individual stainless steel cage that is lined with fresh, soft
bedding (much of which has been donated by you), given a warming
unit, and monitored by a trained Veterinary Technician or
Assistant. Many are released the same day.