Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery, 5th edn.

  • Joseph Bojrab,
  • Don Ray Waldron &
  • James P. Toombs
Teton NewMedia, Jackson, WY Price: $161.96 Hardcover, 1183 pages ISBN: 978-1-59161-035-9 | ISBN: 978-1-59161-035-9

Now in its fifth edition, Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery provides a comprehensive look at surgical approaches from distinguished leaders in the fields of small-animal soft-tissue and orthopedic surgery. The book is divided into two main parts: (I) soft tissue and (II) bones and joints. Part I categorizes soft-tissue procedures first by body systems and then by organs, which allows for quick navigation between sections. Part II subcategorizes surgeries of bones and joints based on their locations in either the axial and appendicular skeleton. Although the text focuses on dog and cat procedures, the authors endeavor to provide instructions using basic principles of surgery. For instance, Chapter 1 provides tables of currently available sutures and needles, indicating which procedures might benefit from the use of one type of suture or needle over another. Chapter 2 follows this theme by describing the three basic layers of a bandage while detailing currently available products on the market and their applications. In Part II almost 100 pages are devoted to an overview of fracture fixation techniques, ranging from pin-and-wire fixation to bone-grafting procedures, before describing surgeries of each major bone and joint in-depth. The last section of the book describes common orthopedic bandaging and splinting techniques with accessible amounts of detail. Individual chapters are devoted to special topics that might be omitted from other surgery manuals, such as minimally invasive surgery, biopsy techniques, supplemental oxygen delivery and feeding tube placement, pain management in the surgical patient and microvascular surgery.

Novice surgeons might find it helpful that authors present more than one approach for surgical correction of specific conditions. Three different methods for canine gastropexy are outlined, and six different methods for surgical treatment of hip dysplasia are dissected out in detail. In most cases authors provide their surgical preferences and give helpful hints regarding possible challenges and complications that surgeons might encounter with each procedure. This allows readers to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each approach and choose which one best fits their skill and comfort levels.

This book is worthy of shelf space in the surgical rounds room of a veterinary teaching hospital, but research surgeons and laboratory animal veterinarians can also benefit from keeping this reference close to the operating room. A whole section in Part I is devoted to exotic species, focusing on ferrets, rabbits and reptiles. Even though featured surgical procedures focus on issues that are commonly encountered by private practitioners, the authors effectively detail the perioperative considerations that are unique to these species, with suggestions for appropriate analgesic and antibiotic usage. Researchers that use swine for experimental surgical models will most likely want to supplement this information with additional references (e.g., Swine in the Laboratory: Surgery, Anesthesia, Imaging, and Experimental Techniques; CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2007).

Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery provides many graphic illustrations to accompany the text. With so large an edition it is understandable that all figures are in black and white and most are artistic drawings. Readers may need to take some additional time to determine the anatomic orientation and consult other veterinary manuals to get a broader context of the surgical sites depicted in the figures. However, some procedures feature both surgical photographs and drawings to better illustrate the textual description.

Current Techniques in Small Animal Surgery covers an extensive number of topics in soft-tissue and orthopedic surgery in a manner that is concise and informative. The general principles of surgery, such as tissue handling and suture selection, provide an outline for teaching first-time surgeons and reinforce proper techniques for seasoned veterans. Authors take the time to include special topics that are not commonly found in other small-animal surgery manuals, including a chapter on exotic species, and traditional surgical techniques are blended with current approaches so readers can decide which methods best fit their experience level. Laboratory animal technicians and veterinarians commonly face experimental procedures in unique research animal models; this reference book provides a solid foundation for the many surgical challenges that might lie ahead.