🔍 Key Findings

• Cholelithiasis was the most common indication for cholecystectomy in cats.
• Perioperative complications were frequent, with intraoperative hypotension in all recorded cases and postoperative anemia in 14 cats.
• Perioperative mortality was 21.7%, lower than historical rates for feline biliary surgery.
• 78.3% of cats survived to discharge, and 83.3% of those lived >6 months; 44.4% survived >3 years.
• Vomiting was the most common short- and long-term complication, though most cats were medically managed.
• Concurrent EHBDO was not a contraindication provided CBD patency was restored.
• Positive bacterial cultures were found in 15 cats, with E. coli and Enterococcus faecalis most common.
• Owner-reported outcomes were excellent in all cats that survived long-term.

🔍 Key Findings

Design: Ex vivo cadaver study (n=8 dogs, 24 sites)
Comparison: Freehand vs. 3D-printed drill guide-assisted ventral slot (GAVS vs FHVS)
Findings:

• GAVS produced slots not significantly different from planned dimensions (p = .722–.875)
• FHVS produced significantly shorter slots than intended (p < .01)
• No difference in surgical time (p = .071)
• Shape ratio and slot divergence from midline were similar between groups (p > .4)
• Use of guide significantly reduced variability in slot position (63% → 29%), shape (65% → 24%), and divergence (54% → 50%)

Conclusion: 3D-printed guides improved accuracy and consistency of ventral slot creation by novice surgeons; supports future evaluation in live dogs and small breeds

🔍 Key Findings

• Bone-to-tendon plate fixation allowed successful stabilization of a highly comminuted calcaneus fracture in a dog with fragments too small for traditional fixation.
• The plate was sutured to the common calcaneal tendon using a figure-of-8 pattern, bypassing the need for screw fixation into small proximal fragments.
• Radiographic union was achieved by 17 weeks, though considered delayed, with the dog returning to normal function by 36 weeks post-op.
• A second surgery was required to replace the tendon-anchored plate with a calcaneus-only plate due to skin ulceration and implant prominence.
• Implant-associated infection was suspected; cultures confirmed Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, managed with doxycycline and clindamycin.
• Use of human placental matrix (hPM) and both autogenous and allogenic bone grafts supported healing, though their specific contribution remains uncertain.
• Postoperative complications included delayed union and skin ulceration, emphasizing challenges of implant design and soft tissue management.
• This is the first report of using a bone-to-tendon plate for a calcaneus fracture in dogs and demonstrates its potential in cases where traditional methods are not viable.

🔍 Key Findings

• Caudal superficial epigastric (CSE) flaps were most visible with NIRFA, scoring 4/4 VFP in 97% of evaluations.
• CSE flap margins were altered in 65% of observations after NIRFA, showing the strongest influence on surgical planning.
• Thoracodorsal (THO) and omocervical (OMO) flaps had lower visualization scores, with 60–81% of images scoring below 2.
• Surgeons were 17–25 times more likely to adjust margins for CSE flaps versus OMO or THO based on fluorescence imaging.
• Poor inter-rater agreement was found for OMO (ICC 0.49) and THO (ICC 0.35); CSE had near-perfect agreement, but ICC was low due to uniform high scoring.
• Visualization was affected by flap depth and panniculus, making deeper vessels (OMO, THO) harder to see.
• Surgeons often shortened flap length and reduced flap area when modifying based on NIRFA results.
• Real-time angiosome visualization via NIRFA-ICG may reduce necrosis risk and improve patient-specific APF design.

🔍 Key Findings

• 13 cadaver dogs underwent laparoscopic right lateral liver lobectomy in sternal recumbency using a transdiaphragmatic intrathoracic trocar (ITT).
• All lobectomies were successful, regardless of dog size.
• Median total surgical time: 35.5 min; median lobectomy time: 18.5 min.
• ITT port enhanced visualization and access to hilus.
• No correlation between body weight and hilus access (p = .78).
• Stronger correlation between liver lobe weight and lobectomy time (r = .73, p = .004).
• Complication in 3/13 cases: Loss of insufflation due to balloon-tip port failure and pneumothorax.
• Recommendation: Use a new balloon trocar per case in clinical applications to prevent failure.

🔍 Key Findings

• Compared unilateral plating (UP) vs orthogonal plating (OP) with 2.0, 2.4, and 3.0 mm plates (OP2.0, OP2.4, OP3.0).
• Model: acetal homopolymer (Delrin) rod with 29 mm fixed fracture gap, loaded axially (4–196 N, 90,000 cycles).
• OP constructs had 2.5–4.1x higher strength and 3.0–4.2x higher stiffness than UP constructs (p < .0002).
• UP had 3.5–4.1x higher gap strain than OP groups (p < .0075).
• All OP groups exceeded 1000 N max load before failure (vs 424 N for UP).
• Greater implant size in OP groups further increased performance.
• All constructs survived fatigue loading; 3.5 mm plates showed deformation, especially UP; OP plates remained intact.

🔍 Key Findings

• Lateral humeral condylar fractures (LHCF) were most common, comprising 63.6% of cases.
• Transcondylar screw (TCS) + K-wire(s) fixation had a 7.62x higher risk of major complications compared to other methods (p = .009).
• All cases of TCS migration occurred in the TCS + K-wire group; none occurred with plate fixation.
• Overall complication rate was 40.9%, with 29.5% being major and requiring intervention.
• Contralateral humeral intracondylar fissures (HIF) were found in 58.1% of French Bulldogs with CT data.
• No significant association between age and presence of HIF, but fissure length increased with age (R = 0.47, p = .048).
• Younger, lighter dogs had higher complication and screw migration rates, possibly due to softer bone and smaller condyles.
• TCS + plate fixation had the lowest complication rate, suggesting biomechanical superiority.

🔍 Key Findings

• Modified closed anal sacculectomy resulted in a local recurrence rate of only 2.2%, substantially lower than prior reports (18–50%).
• Postoperative complications occurred in 31.9% of dogs; most (93%) were minor, with dehiscence being the most common.
• Mean survival time in deceased dogs was 521 days; median was 388 days.
• Surgical technique included complete en bloc excision of the sac and duct with sphincter reconstruction, aiming to reduce seeding risk.
• Only one major complication resulted in euthanasia due to infection and dehiscence.
• Histologic margins were complete in 44.7% of dogs; lymphatic invasion was present in 31.9%, and vascular in 8.5%.
• Adjunctive chemotherapy was administered in 34% of dogs (mostly carboplatin); not standardized due to retrospective design.
• Routine rectal exam was key to diagnosis in 57.4% of dogs with no clinical signs, underscoring the importance of screening.

🔍 Key Findings Summary

• Primary 3.5-mm LCP used with short (SWL), medium (MWL), and long (LWL) working lengths
• Addition of orthogonal 2.7-mm LCP resulted in:
  • Significantly higher bending stiffness for SWL, MWL, and LWL (p < 0.0001)
  • Higher torsional stiffness for MWL and LWL (not for SWL)
  • Significantly lower strain across all working lengths in bending (p < 0.01)
• Working length inversely related to construct stiffness and directly to plate strain
• Orthogonal plates eliminated stiffness differences across working lengths in bending
• Suggests orthogonal plates can improve implant fatigue life and allow compensation when short working lengths are unachievable

🔍 Key Findings

• This study evaluated whether high-fidelity surgical simulator training improved live animal and student outcomes in a feline OHE teaching lab involving 186 cats and 146 students.
• Simulator training significantly improved surgical performance and outcomes:
  • Live surgery was 6 minutes shorter on average in the SIM group vs. NO-SIM (115 ± 21 min vs. 121 ± 16 min, p = .04).
  • Pain scores ≥5/20 occurred in 1% of SIM group cats vs. 15% of NO-SIM group cats (p < .01).
  • Rescue analgesia was needed less frequently in the SIM group (5% vs. 15%, p = .03).
  • Student confidence was significantly higher in the SIM group (median 7/10 vs. 6/10, p < .01).
• The simulator used a realistic abdominal model with friable tissues and required performance of a full OHE procedure.
• The study design was nonrandomized, grouped by class year, with limitations including lack of blinding during pain assessment in year two.
• Authors concluded that pre-lab simulator competency improves both animal welfare and student confidence, recommending it as a prerequisite for live surgical training.