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Hospital Equipment and Procedures

A hospital's equipment and procedures are critical in assuring the safety of pet surgery. It is essential to recognize there is a wide variation from hospital to hospital. Some hospitals are better equipped than others.

The first factor to consider is whether the hospital uses the equipment and technology I will discuss; the second factor is whether the hospital has trained staff who not only knows how to use the equipment but also does surgery on pets routinely.

There are several different topics under the heading of equipment and technology, including:

Let's look at each topic in more detail.

What type of anesthesia is safest for my pet?

There are many different anesthetic agents available in veterinary medicine. With these anesthetics, there is a wide range of cost. Some clinics base their selection of anesthesia primarily on cost, while others are more focused on patient safety. At the Bradley Hills Animal Hospital, patient safety always comes first.

The two basic types of anesthesia are injectable anesthesia, which is administered as a shot, and inhalation agents, which are inhaled and called gas anesthesia. In general, the inhalation agents are safer because they leave the system faster; they usually don't have to be metabolized by the kidneys and liver, and by the time they are exhaled, most of the anesthesia is out of the body. In general, the shorter-acting anesthesias (those that induce sleep and those from which patients awake more rapidly) are the best ones to use in pets. I prefer sevoflurane gas anesthesia for all pet surgeries.

What is a ventilator and why is it so important to use under anesthesia?

I believe one of the most important safety factors of pet anesthesia involves the use of a ventilator. A ventilator is a mechanical breathing machine that is hooked up to the anesthesia machine. This makes it possible for each patient to have a perfectly controlled rate of breathing, and it fills the patient's lungs with each breath. As a result, this helps maintain a safe blood oxygen level for your pet. Ventilators are fairly new to veterinary medicine, but they dramatically increase the safety since the breathing becomes very well controlled. Without a ventilator, as a patient goes deeper under anesthesia, the breaths get shallower and the blood oxygen level can drop to a dangerous level. I recommend the use of a ventilator for all pet surgeries.

What surgical monitors make anesthesia safest for my pet?

I strongly recommend the use of three surgical monitors for all pet surgeries. These include an EKG, pulse oximetry, and capnography monitors. These give us the benefit of monitoring three different parameters, each of which give us different vital information.

If any one of the three monitors tells us there is a problem, we can quickly adjust the anesthesia. (Furthermore, when an ultra-short acting gas is used, such as sevoflurane, the patients can come out of anesthesia quickly if needed). Following is some of the basic information each of these monitors tells us.

Electrocardiograph

All patients will be on a continuous EKG, ensuring their hearts function stably under anesthesia

Pulse oximetry

This monitor tells us the patient's blood oxygen level while under anesthesia. If this level drops at all, we are alerted immediately so we can make changes to correct the problem quickly.

Capnography

The capnography monitor is the standard in human medicine and has recently become available to veterinarians. This monitor tracks blood CO2 levels, which change more rapidly than oxygen levels, allowing us to quickly adjust the anesthesia level or improve ventilation before serious problems can develop. This ability to monitor subtle and rapid changes in patient plane of anesthesia has made a significant advance in veterinary medicine.

At the Bradley Hills Animal Hospital we use all three of these monitors for all of our surgery cases. Dr. Weiss believes these monitors greatly enhance our surgical outcomes.

Laser surgery

Laser surgery has become more and more popular in veterinary medicine over the last 10-15 years because of the amazing benefits it offers our patients. Unlike the scalpel blade, the laser seals the nerve endings and smaller blood vessels as it cuts, greatly reducing blood loss. The many advantages of our CO2 laser, which we use for all our pet surgeries, include:

  • Less pain
  • Less bleeding
  • Better precision
  • Less swelling

Temperature controlled environment

A temperature-controlled environment is vital to help our pet patients maintain their body temperature. Any time a patient of any species goes under anesthesia, it is normal for their body temperature to drop (because the part of the brain that controls the temperature regulation for the body is asleep). This can be a problem especially for smaller patients like pets. When the body temperature drops, all of the organs do not function as efficiently, and this can cause life-threatening hypothermia.

We maintain our patients' body temperature in several ways. First, our surgery table is heated (so our patients don't have to sit on a cold table like we do when we undergo surgical procedures). Second, all of our patients go into a heated recovery cage. With the benefit of these, we can keep our patients safe and comfortable.

Blood transfusions

Periodically before or after surgery, pets may need a blood transfusion. Although most pets don't need one, when pets do require blood, it is critical that they get pet blood in a timely manner. To compensate for this at the Bradley Hills Animal Hospital, we have pet pets owned by Dr. Weiss, staff, and clients, who are ready when needed to give blood and to save lives. It is extremely rare for a hospital to have access to pet blood in case of emergencies.

Pain control

In the past some people believed pets didn't feel pain; now we know this notion is ridiculous. We feel strongly that every pet who has surgery should be as pain-free as possible. To accomplish this, all pets receive pain medicine as needed to keep them as comfortable as possible. In addition, pain medication will be dispensed at the time of discharge from the hospital.