A LOOK BACK AT 2021\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The beginning of a new year is a great time to reflect on past accomplishments. For me, as a surgeon, it includes thinking of all the patients we helped and which surgeries we performed the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This can give you an idea of which surgeries pets are most likely to need\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So here were our top 10 surgeries in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. ACL SURGERY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It never fails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ACL surgery remains the most common surgery we perform, mostly in dogs (and less so in cats).<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have different procedures in our toolbox depending on the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n . TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) is THE most common surgery we perform, by far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n . The \u201ctraditional\u201d technique with heavy nylon sutures can be used in well-selected dogs (and occasionally in cats).<\/p>\n\n\n\n . The TWO (Tibial Wedge Osteotomy) has come in handy a few times this year in dogs who had implants that prevented doing a TPLO, or who had extremely steep angle at the top of their shin bone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n . TTA (Tibial Tuberosity Advancement).<\/p>\n\n\n\n One size doesn\u2019t fit all here. We don\u2019t see every problem as a nail, and we don\u2019t only have one hammer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Mass removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve removed masses in and under the skin, in the chest, in the bone (legs, toes, jaws)\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thankfully, not all tumors are cancerous, and we\u2019ve removed many benign masses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Belly surgery<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Belly surgery or \u201cexploratory laparotomy\u201d allowed us to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n . remove foreign objects from the stomach<\/p>\n\n\n\n . remove body parts (gallbladder, spleen, adrenal gland)<\/p>\n\n\n\n . take biopsies<\/p>\n\n\n\n . remove bladder stones, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can read about bladder stone surgery here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n