Small Animal Surgery

Key learning objectives:

• Understand how to perform the initial assessment of the fracture patient
• Be familiar with the descriptions and applications of fracture classification
• Apply the principles of fracture repair and decision making in fracture repair to your cases
• Appreciate the variety of methods available for fracture fixation and implants, including plating and external fixation devices

Key learning objectives:

• Understand the principles of fracture reduction, including both closed and open techniques
• Be familiar with the options for bone grafting including both cancellous and cortical grafts
• Describe the stabilisation of specific fractures of the fore and hindlimb
• Discuss the clinical approach to the following complications: Delayed union/Non-union/Mal-union/Osteomyelitis

Key learning objectives:

• Perform a caudolateral and craniomedial approach to the shoulder joint
• Perform a biceps tenotomy
• Revise various elbow joint procedures
• Perform a medial and lateral approach to the elbow joint
• Perform a subtotal coronoidectomy
• Apply a lag screw fixation to fix the Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP)
• Execute a proximal/distal ulna osteotomy

Key learning objectives:

• Perform a craniodorsal approach to the hip
• Identify all the steps to correctly perform a femoral head ostectomy (FHNO)
• Approach to the stifle joint laterally
• Execute lateral fabello-tibial sutures
• Perform recession trochleoplasties
• Describe the key stages involved in a tibial tuberosity transposition procedure

You will practise the following surgical procedures under supervision by the speaker.

Key Learning Objectives:

• Radial Fracture
  • Surgical repair using a bone plate and screws
• Humeral Fracture
  • Surgical repair using an intramedullary pin and a bone plate and screws
• Femoral Fracture
  • Surgical repair using an intramedullary pin and a bone plate and screws

You will practise the following surgical procedures under the supervision of the speaker.

Key Learning Objectives:

• Cancellous bone grafting
  • Harvest cancellous bone from the proximal humerus
• Review external fixation equipment
  • Familiarise yourself with the pins, bars and clamps
• Tibial Fracture
  • Surgical repair with a type II linear frame
• Comminuted Radial Fracture
  • Surgical repair with a type Ib linear frame

Key Learning Objectives:

• Perform a caudolateral and craniomedial approach to the shoulder joint
• Perform a biceps tenotomy
• Revise various elbow joint procedures
• Perform a medial and lateral approach to the elbow joint
• Perform a subtotal coronoidectomy
• Apply a lag screw fixation to fix the Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP)
• Execute a proximal/distal ulna osteotomy

Key Learning Objectives:

• Perform a craniodorsal approach to the hip
• Identify all the steps to correctly perform a femoral head ostectomy (FHNO)
• Approach to the stifle joint laterally
• Execute lateral fabello-tibial sutures
• Perform recession trochleoplasties
• Describe the key stages involved in a tibial tuberosity transposition procedure

Key learning objectives:

• Integrate the principles of lesion localisation to your spinal cases via a systematic neurological examination and its’ interpretation
• Understand the application of neurodiagnostics
• Appreciate the approach to and management of paraplegia and tetraplegia
• Be familiar with the clinical approach to neurological emergencies, including cranial trauma and status epilepticus

Key learning objectives:

Revise the surgical options for spinal surgery according to the site

• Cervical spine
  • Ventral slot procedure
• Thoracolumbar spine
  • Hemilaminectomy
• Lumbosacral spine
  • Dorsal laminectomy
• CSF tap and Myelography
  • Identify the appropriate landmarks for acquiring CSF samples and obtaining diagnostic myelograms

Observe a demonstration of the above procedures performed by the speaker in the wet lab.

Key learning objectives:

• Revise asepsis, sterilisation and appropriate antibiosis for surgical cases
• Expand your knowledge of instrumentation and instrument handling
• Become more familiar with the uses of suture, needles,staples and clips
• Understand the principles of wound healing and how this applies to your clinical cases
• Re-visit the principles of wound management and get up-to-date with what is available now

Key learning objectives:

• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of different monitoring techniques.
• Evaluate and treat fluid and electrolyte imbalances.
• Develop anaesthetic protocols for healthy and high risk patients.
• Understand the techniques used for stabilisation of patients in a critical state including CPR and treatments used in intensive care.

Part 1: 22 January 2027

Part 1: 29 January 2027

Key learning objectives:

• Become familiar with the surgical approaches to salivary gland disease
• Consider oesophageal disease and when surgery may be appropriate
• Gastrotomy and gastrectomy: there is more to surgery of the stomach than just GDV
• Advance your knowledge of small intestinal disease and how your decision-making can reduce complications
• Review and revise ruptures and hernias

Part 1: 5 February 2027

Part 2: 12 February 2027

Key learning objectives:

• Improve your knowledge of large intestinal surgery and the differences between cats and dogs
• Familiarise yourself with surgical approaches to the rectum and anus
• Explore the options for liver surgery – suture, staples or electrosurgery
• Review biliary tract surgery – anatomy and surgical options
• Consolidate your knowledge of pancreatic surgery
• Splenectomy – does it need removing and if so, which technique and what are the alternatives to removal?

Key learning objectives:

• Revise the underlying principles of oncologic surgery to inform your surgical approaches to the most common tumours seen in practice
• Bring yourself up-to-date on all the treatment options for mast cell tumours
• Become comfortable with maxillectomy and mandibulectomy so you can approach oral tumours with more confidence
• Familiarise yourself with gastrointestinal tumours so you can optimise your patient’s outcome
• Recognise the differences between dogs and cats by learning about feline-specific tumours

Key learning objectives:

• Develop your skills in managing renal surgery
• Extend your knowledge of obstructive diseases of the urinary tract from ureters to urethra to enhance your day-to-day management of urolithiasis
• Improve your awareness of the myriad of surgical options for urinary incontinence that are available now including colposuspension, TVT and urethral occluders
• Advance your familiarity with surgery of the male reproductive system – from prostatic omentalisation to penile and preputial procedures
• Extend the range of procedures you can offer for the female reproductive system beyond ovariectomy and ovariohysterectomy

Part 1: 14 May 2027

Part 2: 21 May 2027

Key learning objectives:

• Perfect your approach to peritonitis by going into the detail of the pathophysiology, clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment options
• By the end of this module you will have discovered the thrills of thoracic surgery and maybe even have answered some big questions:
• Big dog / little dog: who wins?
• Thoracostomy for pneumothorax, pyothorax and chylothorax – which tube?
• Thoracotomy – which side and which rib space?
• Lung Lobectomy – how many lobes can you take?
• PDA –is this still a surgical condition?
• Pericardectomy – how much should you take?
• PRAA – why does a regurgitating patient need a thoracotomy?
• Chylothorax – can you find the thoracic duct?
• Chest wall diseases – how far can you advance the diaphragm?

• Review the "Wounds and Wound Healing" - 1st half of the day
• Introductory practical part (instruments, show how to dress properly, how to hold the instruments, principals of surgery) - 2nd half of the day

Key Learning Objectives:

• Wound closure - Tension relieving techniques, management of ‘dog ears’
• Pedicle Flaps - advancement, rotational and transposition to help close the larger or trickier defects
• Muscle and omental flaps - using muscle in defects by practising the external abdominal oblique muscle flap
• Skin grafts - full thickness and stamp and how to maximise their chances of success

Key Learning Objectives:

• Oesophageal foreign bodies - Pre-op management, anaesthesia, surgical anatomy, surgical technique, post-op care and assessment 
• Gastric dilatation volvulus - Temporary and permanent gastropexy

Part 1: 3 September 2027

Part 2: 24 September 2027

Key learning objectives:

• Become secure doing surgery on the lips, cheeks and tongue
• Improve your approach to surgical treatment of palatal abnormalities
• Maxillectomy and mandibulectomy: when and where to cut
• Become more familiar with pharyngeal surgery and your options for tonsillar surgery
• Make a considered choice for your patients between lateral wall resection, vertical canal ablation, ventral bulla osteotomy and total canal ablation/lateral bulla osteotomy
• Revise the options for surgical treatment of aural haematoma

Part 1: 15 October 2027

Part 2: 29 October 2027

Key learning objectives:

• Revise conditions of the nasal planum of the young and old to guide you when to operate
• The nasal sinuses – when does surgical access become necessary?
• Brachycephalic airway disease - a myriad of abnormalities
• Perfect your knowledge of the larynx to allow you to successfully treat a wide variety of surgical conditions - paralysis, collapse, trauma, stenosis and neoplasia
• Familiarise yourself with tracheotomy, tracheostomy, tracheal avulsion, collapse, resection/anastomosis, trauma, foreign bodies and neoplasia

Key Learning Objectives:

• Total ear canal ablation (TECA) and lateral bulla osteotomy - Suture materials and special instruments, post-op care and assessment, complications
• Ventral bulla osteotomy - Suture materials and special instruments, post-op care and assessment, complications
• Thyroid surgery - Thyroidectomy in the dog, thyroidectomy in the cat demonstration
• Unilateral arytenoid lateralisation - Pre-op management, anaesthesia, surgical anatomy, surgical technique, post-op care and assessment  

Key Learning Objectives:

• Nephrectomy and nephrotomy - Partial nephrectomy, ureteronephrectomy, indications for nephrotomy 
• Urethrostomy - Prescrotal, scrotal, perineal, prepubic

Key Learning Objectives:

• Thoracotomy - Pre-op management, anaesthesia, surgical anatomy, surgical technique, post-op care and assessment 
• Lung lobectomy - Partial and complete lobectomy 
• Pericardectomy - Subtotal and total 
• Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) - Pre-operative management, anaesthesia, surgical anatomy, surgical technique, post-op care and assessment

Key learning objectives:

• Understand how to perform the initial assessment of the fracture patient
• Be familiar with the descriptions and applications of fracture classification
• Apply the principles of fracture repair and decision making in fracture repair to your cases
• Appreciate the variety of methods available for fracture fixation and implants, including plating and external fixation devices

Key learning objectives:

• Understand the principles of fracture reduction, including both closed and open techniques
• Be familiar with the options for bone grafting including both cancellous and cortical grafts
• Describe the stabilisation of specific fractures of the fore and hindlimb
• Discuss the clinical approach to the following complications: Delayed union/Non-union/Mal-union/Osteomyelitis

Key learning objectives:

• Perform a caudolateral and craniomedial approach to the shoulder joint
• Perform a biceps tenotomy
• Revise various elbow joint procedures
• Perform a medial and lateral approach to the elbow joint
• Perform a subtotal coronoidectomy
• Apply a lag screw fixation to fix the Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP)
• Execute a proximal/distal ulna osteotomy

Key learning objectives:

• Perform a craniodorsal approach to the hip
• Identify all the steps to correctly perform a femoral head ostectomy (FHNO)
• Approach to the stifle joint laterally
• Execute lateral fabello-tibial sutures
• Perform recession trochleoplasties
• Describe the key stages involved in a tibial tuberosity transposition procedure

You will practise the following surgical procedures under supervision by the speaker.

Key Learning Objectives:

• Radial Fracture
  • Surgical repair using a bone plate and screws

• Humeral Fracture
  • Surgical repair using an intramedullary pin and a bone plate and screws

• Femoral Fracture
  • Surgical repair using an intramedullary pin and a bone plate and screws

You will practise the following surgical procedures under the supervision of the speaker.

Key Learning Objectives:

• Cancellous bone grafting
  • Harvest cancellous bone from the proximal humerus

• Review external fixation equipment
  • Familiarise yourself with the pins, bars and clamps

• Tibial Fracture
  • Surgical repair with a type II linear frame

• Comminuted Radial Fracture
  • Surgical repair with a type Ib linear frame

Key Learning Objectives:

• Perform a caudolateral and craniomedial approach to the shoulder joint
• Perform a biceps tenotomy
• Revise various elbow joint procedures
• Perform a medial and lateral approach to the elbow joint
• Perform a subtotal coronoidectomy
• Apply a lag screw fixation to fix the Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP)
• Execute a proximal/distal ulna osteotomy

Key Learning Objectives:

• Perform a craniodorsal approach to the hip
• Identify all the steps to correctly perform a femoral head ostectomy (FHNO)
• Approach to the stifle joint laterally
• Execute lateral fabello-tibial sutures
• Perform recession trochleoplasties
• Describe the key stages involved in a tibial tuberosity transposition procedure

Key learning objectives:

• Integrate the principles of lesion localisation to your spinal cases via a systematic neurological examination and its’ interpretation
• Understand the application of neurodiagnostics
• Appreciate the approach to and management of paraplegia and tetraplegia
• Be familiar with the clinical approach to neurological emergencies, including cranial trauma and status epilepticus

Key learning objectives:

Revise the surgical options for spinal surgery according to the site

• Cervical spine
  • Ventral slot procedure

• Thoracolumbar spine
  • Hemilaminectomy

• Lumbosacral spine
  • Dorsal laminectomy

• CSF tap and Myelography
  • Identify the appropriate landmarks for acquiring CSF samples and obtaining diagnostic myelograms

Observe a demonstration of the above procedures performed by the speaker in the wet lab.