Minor Veterinary Surgery

ForewordPrefaceAbbreviationsPART 1: General principles1: The veterinary nurse and minor surgery- Definition and scope of minor surgery- Role of the veterinary nurse- Interpretation of the RCVS schedule 3 (and possibly appropriate USA guidelines) re nurses' role in minor surgical procedures- The interplay between vet and nurse in nurse-performed minor surgery (communication, training, professional support, etc.)- Personal learning, development and self-assessment2. The minor surgical patient- Owner communication - Admitting the patient- The anaesthetic/surgical consent form- Pre-anaesthetic history review, nurse examination and health check- Planning operating theatre lists and time3. Premedication and patient preparation- Rationale and review of common sedative/premedication drugs- Injection routes and techniques for premedication- Placement of i.v. catheters and basics of surgical fluid administration- Analgesic drugs and pain management - Pre- and post-operative antibiotics- Preparation of the surgical skin site4. General anaesthesia-Rationale and review of commonly used drugs- Intubation techniques - Common anaesthetic breathing systems- Monitoring anaesthesia- Anaesthetic emergencies and resuscitation (also a chart in the inside back cover)5. Wound dressings and bandages- Types of dressing and their indications especially following minor surgery- Application techniques and management- Complications from dressingsPART 2: Minor surgical techniques6. Wound management- Review of wounds and wound healing- Wound classification- First aid for simple and complex wounds- Open management and minor surgical debridement- Management of complicated wounds- Wound healing products- Hydrotherapy7. Principles of soft tissue surgery- Review of important surgical instruments, their use and care- Review of important suture materials and their applications- Practical suture patterns for minor surgery- Halstead's principles of tissue handling - Dealing with bleeding- Surgical drains- Postoperative wound care 8. Common surgical procedures- Skin wound closure- Skin surface tumours and subcutaneous growths- Surgical management of abscesses - Skin biopsy techniques- Ear surgery and aural haematoma- Tail amputation for trauma or disease- Digit amputation- Dew claw and nail removal- Dental and oral surgery- Jugular and intraosseous catheter placement - Acting as the scrubbed assistant in major surgery- Veterinary acupuncture9. The postoperative patient- The recovery phase - Indicators of pain and postoperative analgesia - Discharging the patient- Postoperative checks- Postoperative complications following minor surgeryAppendix: Emergency proceduresGlossary of surgical terms and definitionsSelf-assessmentsFurther reading listIndex