Soft Tissue Surgery at BVSC
A soft tissue surgeon focuses on soft tissue diseases involving tissues and organs such as the skin, bowel, lungs, liver, spleen and soft tissues of the head and neck regions. Some of these conditions may be chronic and require careful pre-operative testing such as blood and urine testing, biopsy or advanced imaging. Other conditions may be seen in a more emergency situation, including soft tissue trauma following car accidents or conditions that require urgent surgical correction, for example: where there is life threatening bleeding in to the abdomen or chest.
Our surgeons are provided with advanced imaging support with digital radiography, high definition ultrasonography, high speed computerized tomography (CT) and high field magnetic image intensification (MRI 3 & 7T). Imaging is often used pre-operatively to provide prognostic information and aid the surgeon to prepare for a successful surgery.
Abdominal and thoracic surgery often involves delicate and careful dissection and our surgeons have access to a variety of specialised instruments to achieve the best results. The ForceTriad Energy Platform is a full-featured electrosurgical system that provides cutting and coagulation, bipolar functionality and vessel sealing. Ligasure handpieces, powered by the ForceTriad, allow us to safely and efficiently dissect highly vascular tissues. Transabdominal (TA) and gastrointestinal anastomosis (GIA) stapling devices are utilised in many soft tissue surgeries; lung and liver lobectomies and intestinal anastomoses. Our surgeons use loupe magnification during surgery to ensure careful dissection and suture placement.
At BVSC we pride ourselves on ‘surrounding the patient’ with multiple specialists in different fields and this is no more evident than with our soft tissue surgery patients. Your patient may be seen pre-operatively by an internal medicine specialist for blood testing, endoscopy or abdominal ultrasound, undergo advanced imaging by CT or MRI scanner and have post-operative intensive care in our ICU unit.
Many of our soft tissue surgery patients benefit from receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). This is where 100% oxygen is delivered at two atmospheres of pressure. Animals are comfortable in the chamber and enjoy the effects while pure oxygen is essentially forced into damaged and oxygen staved tissues which are inadequately perfused. BVSC has the only HBOT chamber for use in small animals in Queensland.
