| Surgery
Information from your pet’s regular veterinarian regarding your pet's medical history, previous treatments, lab work and x-rays will be helpful to our surgeons while treating your pet. What to expect when you visit the surgery department
Dr. Darien Lawrence
Hours: The surgery department is staffed from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Appointments to see one of the board-certified Surgeons are available from 9 am to 5 pm daily. If your pet has come to the ASEH emergency department and needs emergency surgery, one of our surgeons in on call.
Please follow these instructions when preparing to bring your pet in for surgery.
1. Please do not feed your pet after 10pm the night before the scheduled procedure. Water and any continuous medications are permitted unless otherwise instructed by the surgery staff. 2. For dogs, a bath is requested 24 hours prior to the procedure date. You will not be able to bathe your pet until staples or sutures are removed. Bathing also helps us to maintain a cleaner environment while in surgery. 3. Please bring any medications your pet is taking on a continuous basis. A wide selection of bedding and toys are provided by the hospital. Personal bedding and toys are permitted, however we cannot be responsible for loss or damage. 4. If your pet is on a specific diet please bring enough food for the duration of his/her hospital stay. Please clearly label all your pet's belongings. Leashes and carriers will be returned to you at the time of drop off. 5. If not already signed, you will be required to sign a consent form for the treatment plan, complete the surgical admission form, and choose a resuscitation code for your pet. 6. A deposit for the low end of the estimated cost of services will be collected. The balance will be due when your pet is discharged from the hospital. Estimated costs are for this visit only and do not cover the costs of any complications, additional procedures or rechecks. 7. Please have your pet at the hospital between 8 and 8:30am unless otherwise instructed by the surgery staff. 8. Visitation is not allowed on the day of surgery. 9. The surgeon or technician will call you after surgery once your pet has woken from anesthesia and is in ICU. 10. One of our technicians will call you between 9:00 and 11:00 AM the morning after your pet's surgery to give an update and, if your pet is ready to go home, potentially schedule a discharge time in the afternoon. 11. Please feel free to call us any time for an status report.
What is a Board Certified Veterinary Surgeon? Only veterinarians who have successfully completed the certification requirements of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons are Diplomates of the ACVS and have earned the right to be called specialists in veterinary surgery (board certified). At present there are 1400 Diplomates of the ACVS worldwide. A board certified veterinary surgeon completes four years of additional training after graduating from veterinary school. The programs consist of closely supervised training during which the candidate works with recognized specialists to acquire additional knowledge and skills in veterinary surgery. The candidate must also demonstrate clinical proficiency and publish articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. A comprehensive written, practical and case-based examination must be passed to earn Diplomate status. The ACVS Diplomate is a vital part of today’s veterinary health team, and involving a surgeon in your pets care shows how much your regular veterinarian cares.
Anesthesia Patient safety and comfort are important to the staff in the surgery department
How our patients are anesthetized: Anesthesia in the surgery department at ASEH includes a multiple drug protocol for maximum safety. On the day of surgery, another physical examination is performed to ensure that your pet is still fit for anesthesia and surgery. Preoperative blood work (generally a complete blood count and a chemistry) is reviewed and a sedative premedication is given to relax your pet prior to placement of an intravenous catheter. All patients having anesthesia and surgery at ASEH receive intravenous fluids and have venous access for administration of any emergency drugs if necessary. Anesthesia is induced with intravenous drugs and an endotracheal tube
(breathing tube) is placed into the trachea. Pets receive a gas anesthetic (isoflurane or
sevoflurane with oxygen). Gas anesthesia enables us to control your pet’s level of
anesthesia quickly for improved safety. We also have a ventilator if needed for your
pet. Patient Monitoring and Pain Management: The surgery staff is well trained in anesthesia and patient monitoring. For every surgery there is one staff member assigned to monitor anesthesia. Advanced monitoring equipment, the same as those used in human operating theaters, is used on all our patients. These include blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters to monitor oxygenation of the blood, end tidal CO2 monitors to monitor breathing, and ECG’s to monitor heart rate and rhythm. Our surgery tables are heated, and we have additional external heat support for use (warm air blower (Bair Hugger) and a fluid warmer). We employ the latest pain management techniques, including intra-articular anesthesia, epidural anesthesia and local blocks as indicated. All patients receive intravenous pain medications after surgery and are sent home with oral pain medications. Many pet owners are concerned about anesthesia when their pet needs surgery, especially if they feel their pet is too old to be anesthetized. Age is not a contraindication to anesthesia. Rest assured that the well-trained surgery staff at ASEH will make your pet’s anesthesia as safe as possible.
Pet’s are often sedated for minor procedures (such as biopsies, joint palpation and fluid sampling, etc) and radiographs. The sedatives that we use are very safe and reversible, so that your pet will be able to go home shortly after the sedation is reversed. Once home, your pet may be quiet or sleepy for the rest of the day.
Postoperative care: Personalized aftercare instructions are provided after your pet’s surgery The instructions will cover medications, feeding instructions, wound care instructions, allowed activity levels and when your pet needs to return to ASEH for staple removal, recheck or radiographs. It is vital that the postoperative instructions are followed closely in all cases. Failure to do so may result in complications such as wound breakdown (dehiscence), infection, or breakage of implants (plates/screws etc). A copy of your pet’s discharge instructions is sent to your regular veterinarian when your pet is discharged from ASEH. If you have any questions about the instructions you have received, please contact the surgical staff at ASEH during regular business hours (8am to 6pm M-F), or the ASEH emergency department after-hours if you feel it is an emergency (no appointment necessary). Frequently asked questions after discharge My pet has not had a bowel movement yet… Defecation is frequently abnormal after anesthesia and surgery. This is due to the combination of drug therapy, low-grade surgical pain or discomfort, and environmental changes. Your pet may not defecate for several days after a hospital stay. This should not cause a great concern, providing your pet is not straining to defecate. If no stool is seen within 4 to 5 days of discharge, please contact the surgical staff at ASEH during regular business hours (8am to 6pm M-F), or the ASEH emergency department afterhours if you feel it is an emergency (no appointment necessary). My pet is not eating as well as usual… After anesthesia, surgery and a hospital stay it is not unusual for your pet to have a decreased appetite, due to the combination of recent anesthesia, pain medications, antibiotic treatment, environmental changes and a decrease in activity level. If your pet has no special dietary instructions from the surgeon, it is acceptable to entice them with a special food (like boiled chicken and rice) in small quantities. This should be offered in combination with your pet’s normal diet. Please avoid foods that are “rich” or high in fat content, and do not feed any “people food” apart from the bland chicken and rice mentioned above. My pet is restless, whimpering, or cannot get comfortable… This is not uncommon in the first few hours or days after discharge from the hospital. This may be due to the recent hospital experience, low-grade pain, changes in the normal home environment (e.g. confinement if they are not used to a crate), and changes in their usual routine. If your pet calms down when you pet and talk to them, the behavior you are seeing is most likely not due to pain. If you feel your pets pain management is not adequate, please call a member of the surgical staff during regular hours (8am to 6pm M-F), or the ASEH emergency department after-hours if you feel it is an emergency (no appointment necessary). My pet was using the operated leg well, but has suddenly stopped doing so… This may occur because of overuse of the surgery leg, or is sometimes seen after removal of a bandage. If your pet stops using the operated leg, and in the absence of evident pain or deformity of the limb, restricting their activity for 24 to 48 hours may help. Continue pain medications and anti-inflammatories as directed. A warm compress directly to the surgical site may help. If you are concerned, please call ASEH surgery staff during regular office hours to speak with a nurse to make an appointment to have your pet assessed. If it is afterhours and you feel it is an emergency situation please contact the ASEH emergency department (no appointment necessary). The incision is red, inflamed or has a discharge… If your pet is licking or chewing the incision and causing irritation use an Elizabethan collar to prevent this. If you do not have one, you can pick one up at ASEH or your local pet supermarket. All surgical incisions should be clean and dry – any discharge is abnormal, and you
should call the ASEH surgery staff as soon as possible to arrange a recheck. If you are
concerned after-hours contact the ASEH emergency department (no appointment
necessary). If you are concerned after-hours and you feel it is an emergency, bring your pet to the ASEH emergency department (no appointment necessary).
Fees: Consultations and appointments with the surgery department require a deposit at the time of admission for treatment. Full payment will be due at the time of your pet's discharge. We welcome cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Debit Card or Care Credit.
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