Surgical Services
- Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome surgeries (allows our “squishy face” dogs to breath better)
If you are an owner of a French Bulldog, English Bulldog, Pug, Boston Terrier, Pekingese, Boxer, Shih Tzu, or any one of the “flat faced breeds”, with a pushed-in nose or short face, you need to become familiar with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome or BOAS.
Brachycephalic breeds make a lot of snorting respiratory sounds, simply because of the way their throats and faces are shaped. Typically you will hear increased respiratory sounds with breathing, snoring or panting. While cute, these sounds are created from a combination of several anatomic deformities. They can vary from degrees of severity. They also may suffer from clear nasal discharge, difficulty breathing during exercise, poor exercise tolerance, digestive complications, prolonged recovery after exercise or exposure to warmer conditions, poor tolerance to heat stress, restlessness at night and sleep apnea.
BOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome) surgery is a procedure that corrects anatomical issues in a dog’s airway to improve airflow. The surgery can involve any of the following:
-Widening the nostrils (treatment for Stenotic Nares)
–Shortening the soft palate (staphyloplasty, which is a procedure to removal of redundant tissue in back of mouth)
-Everted Saccules (removal of redundant tissue in throat)
- Anal gland Sac removal both normal and neoplastic (cancerous)
- Thyroidectomy (removal of thyroid gland in the (dog only))
- Salivary mucocele (surgery of the salivary glands)
- Gastropexy (tacking of stomach to prevent rotation)
Typically, this is an elective procedure that involves tacking (suturing) the stomach to the body wall to prevent gastric dilation (bloating) and volvulus (rotating) a.k.a. (GDV). GDV mainly occurs in deep, barrel-chested dogs, such as, but not limited to Great Danes, St. Benards, Greyhouds, German Shepherds, Weimaraners, or Boxers; or those who’s adult weight who is expected to reach over 100 pounds. This surgery can be performed alone, or at the time of the spay or neuter surgery.
If GDV occurs, this is an emergency that requires surgery and hospitalization or euthanasia.
- Intestinal surgery (including foreign body removal)
- Nephrectomy (kidney removal)
- Splenectomy (spleen removal with vessel sealing device)
- Cystotomy (bladder surgery)
- Perineal Hernia (hernia near anus)
- Cholecystectomy
- Perineal Urethrostomy
- And many more
- Simple and complex fracture repair of all bones
- Articular fracture repair (fractures involving joints)
- Arthrodesis (fusion of joint with unrepairable damage)
- Articular luxation (dislocation) reduction and repair
- Toggle pin fixation (for traumatically dislocated hips)
- Medial patellar luxation (congenital dislocation of knee cap)
- Pennhip Evaluation (the most accurate way to evaluate/predict hip dysplasia)
- Juvenile pubic symphysis (JPS) (surgery for hip dysplasia-case dependent)
- Juvenile pubic symphysiodesis (JPS) is a minimally invasive surgery that closes a growth plate at the bottom of the pelvis. This results in selective growth of the pelvis and the hip cup (acetabulum) increasingly covering the ball (femoral head) as the puppy grows during the following 4-6 months.
- Physeal fractures (fractures of growth plates)
- Tendon and ligament injuries
- CCL (common injury to the pet knee, also known as ACL in humans)
- CBLO (C.O.R.A.) Based Leveling Osteotomy (a refinement of a similar surgery called a TPLO)
- Extracapsular Repair
- Calcanean (Achilles) rupture and avulsion
- Carpal and tarsal ligament injuries (your pets version of wrist and foot/ankle injuries)
- CCL (common injury to the pet knee, also known as ACL in humans)
- Articular (Joint) Injections
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- Intestinal surgery (including foreign body removal)
- Nephrectomy (kidney removal)
- Splenectomy (spleen removal with vessel sealing device)
- Cystotomy (bladder surgery)
- Perineal Hernia (hernia near anus)
- Cholecystectomy
- Perineal Urethrostomy
- And many more
- Veterinary Soft Tissue Surgeries
- CO2 laser surgical capabilities
- Laparoscopy (minimally invasive surgery for the abdomen)
- Laparoscopic gastropexy (suturing stomach to abdominal wall to prevent rotation)
- Laparoscopic liver biopsy
- Laparoscopic Spay (ovariectomy)
- Laparoscopic cryptorchid neuter and laparoscopic vasectomy
- Other laparoscopic procedures
- CO2 laser surgical capabilities
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- Spay (ovariohysterectomy, ovariectomy, hysterectomy)
- Neuter-including cryptorchid (retained testicle in groin or abdomen)
- Mass and tumor removal
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Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures
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Arthroscopy
This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows the veterinarian to examine and/or treat joint problems creating a small incision. The veterinarian inserts a scope attached to a fiberoptic video camera through the incision to visualize the joint. This procedure can be utilized in many different joints, but is most commonly implemented in the elbow, shoulder and stifle joints.
Endoscopy
This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows the veterinarian to examine the upper gastrointestinal tract (mouth, esophagus, stomach and duodenum) or the lower intestinal tract (rectum and colon). The veterinarian uses a flexible fiberoptic scope attached to a video camera to visualize these hollow organs. This procedure can be utilized to look for various diseases or abnormalities, perform biopsies, and can be used to remove some foreign objects that pets sometimes swallow!
Bronchoscopy
This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows the veterinarian to examine the large airways of the respiratory system. The veterinarian uses a flexible fiberoptic scope attached to a video camera to visualize the larynx, trachea, and bronchi. This procedure can be utilized to look for various diseases or abnormalities, perform biopsies, and collect samples to test for infections.
Otoscopy
This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows the veterinarian to examine the external ear. The fiberoptic scope is attached to a video camera which allows the veterinarian to visualize the external ear and tympanic membrane (ear drum) with much better clarity and illumination than possible with a handheld otoscope . With this instrument, the veterinarian can look for various diseases or abnormalities, perform biopsies and treatments, collect samples to test for infections, and it can be used to remove foreign objects like the dreaded Foxtail grass seeds! At Sky Canyon Veterinary Hospital this procedure is sometimes coupled with a CT scan to help us understand if the areas of the middle and inner ear are involved in a problem since they cannot be visualized from the external ear.
Laparoscopy
This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows the veterinarian to examine the organs of the abdomen and perform many different procedures. The veterinarian uses a fiberoptic scope attached to a video camera to visualize the size, shape, texture, color and position of the various abdominal organs. Laparoscopy is often used to perform surgeries within the abdomen using only 2-3 incisions that are 1cm long. For a list of these procedures, click this link: Laparoscopy (minimally invasive surgery for the abdomen)
Rhinoscopy
This is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that allows the veterinarian to examine the inside of the nose. The fiberoptic scope is attached to a video camera which allows the veterinarian to visualize the larger airways of each side of the nose. With this instrument, the veterinarian can look for various diseases or abnormalities, perform biopsies and treatments, collect samples to test for infections, and can be used to remove foreign objects like the dreaded Foxtail grass seeds! At Sky Canyon Veterinary Hospital this procedure is often coupled with a CT scan to help us understand if the sinuses and/or smaller, inaccessible areas of nasal passages are involved in a problem.