Trauma Management
What should I expect if my pet requires treatment for severe trauma?
Your pet will be assessed by one of our senior orthopaedic surgeons, who will ensure that any life-threatening injuries are addressed urgently and that the best possible pain relief is given immediately. As soon as your pet is stable and comfortable, we will explain to you what sort of injuries are present and the best way of managing those problems, either surgically or non-surgically. Surgical options will be discussed in detail, as well as the expected aftercare and long-term prognosis.
What type of traumatic injuries are managed at Fitzpatrick Referrals?
We are world leaders in veterinary trauma management, with extensive experience in the repair of fractures, luxations (dislocations), and injuries affecting the spine and soft tissues. The following are a small sequence of examples of trauma management performed at Fitzpatrick Referrals:
Fracture Repair
Internal fixation:
Plate and screw fixation: To be able to offer your pet the very best chance of returning to normal after they have fractured one or more bones, we must combine the use of the most sophisticated implants with the best possible expertise. At Fitzpatrick Referrals, we have the availability of an implantation inventory that is second to none. Our team of surgeons has vast experience with fracture management using the most sophisticated plate and screw fixation systems.
Pins and wires: Some simple fractures are most appropriately treated using a combination of pins and wires.
External skeletal fixation (ESF): Some injuries are best managed by a minimally invasive approach, whereby the fracture is disturbed as little as possible, in order to maximize the healing potential of the individual. Fixation is often achieved using pins driven into the bone fragments on either side of the broken bone, with external support via a connecting bar complex positioned outside the affected limb. We have pioneered the advancement of ESF application in veterinary medicine, and were the first hospital worldwide to offer ESF treatment for pelvic fracture repair in dogs and cats.
Spinal fracture repair
Spinal fractures are usually the result of severe trauma, and require specialist advanced imaging facilities, an expert surgical team and support staff, and sophisticated equipment for internal or external fixation of spinal fractures or dislocations. We have unique experience in the successful surgical treatment of animals with severe spinal trauma.
Luxation repair
Luxation (dislocation) refers to the traumatic separation of a joint. Successful treatment of luxations usually requires surgical intervention. Techniques are designed either to reconstruct the joint or to perform a salvage surgery if the joint is irreversibly damaged. Reconstructive surgeries are routinely performed to treat dislocations of the elbow, shoulder, hock (ankle), knee, and hip joints. Salvage surgeries include total joint replacement (total hip replacement, total elbow replacement, total knee replacement, total shoulder replacement) and arthrodesis (joint fusion) surgeries.
Soft tissue reconstructive and salvage surgery
Severe trauma to soft tissues is common after major trauma. We routinely perform complex reconstructive surgery to treat soft tissue injuries. We have pioneered the use of vacuum assisted wound management in the UK. In addition, the intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthesis (ITAP) was developed at Fitzpatrick Referrals in collaboration with Stanmore Implants Worldwide Ltd. This innovative technique has been used to treat animals where the lower part of a limb is obliterated either by cancer (bone cancer or soft-tissue cancer), or by severe trauma to bones, muscles, nerves and blood vessels. We have treated both dogs and cats with this innovative technology in circumstances where amputation or euthanasia was the only possible alternative. The most high profile patient treated using ITAP was Oscar the cat, who had both of his back legs severed by a corn harvester, and who is now running around like a normal cat!