🔍 Key Findings

• Arthroscopic-assisted hip toggle stabilization (AA-HTS) was successfully completed in all 14 feline cadaver joints.
• Femoral and acetabular tunnel creation was feasible in all cases, though femoral tunnel placement had a higher rate of deviations.
• Intraoperative complications occurred in 5/14 joints, mostly related to femoral tunnel creation and toggle lodging.
• Minor articular cartilage injury (<10% total cartilage area) occurred in 10/14 joints, but no injury to neurovascular or intrapelvic structures.
• Thirteen surgical technique deviations (8 major, 5 minor) were identified in 7 joints, all involving the femoral tunnel.
• Toggle passage through the femoral tunnel was the most challenging step, being mildly difficult in 6 joints.
• Postoperative CT and gross dissection confirmed all toggles and buttons were in correct position, without damage to major surrounding structures.
• No deviations, complications, or cartilage injuries occurred in the last 4 joints, suggesting a learning curve effect.

🔍 Key Findings

• Bacterial fluorescence was detected in all wounds (17 dogs, 4 cats) using the point-of-care wound imaging device (WID).
• The WID confirmed the presence of clinically relevant wound infection in all evaluated cases at the time of imaging.
• No significant difference was found in bacterial yield or burden between image-guided and non-guided swabs (QBC and PCR; p > 0.05).
• The WID helped guide wound debridement in some cases by localizing areas of fluorescence, especially in necrotic tissue.
• Most infections were polymicrobial and dominated by anaerobes, highlighting the need for anaerobic culture inclusion.
• PCR analysis showed low bacterial DNA yields, often complicated by host DNA contamination, limiting its utility.
• The study did not evaluate sensitivity/specificity of WID, as only fluorescence-positive wounds were included.
• Clinical utility of WID lies in immediate visual confirmation of infection, supporting timely antimicrobial treatment decisions.

🔍 Key Findings Summary

• Sample: 124 dogs (64 S, 60 FFP); French Bulldogs most common (54/124)
• Pre-op clinical signs: Exercise intolerance (34/124), stertor (22), regurgitation (7), vomiting (12)
• Operative time (no concurrent procedure): Longer in FFP (75 vs 51 min, p = .02)
• Anesthetic time: Longer in FFP (111 vs 80 min, p = .02)
• Anesthetic complications: Similar rates (FFP 50, S 49; p = .30)
• Post-op regurgitation: 27/124 (S: 17, FFP: 10; p = .18)
• Post-op aspiration pneumonia: Rare (S: 4, FFP: 5)
• Major complications: Rare (5/124); 2 dogs euthanized post-op (1 per group)
• Revision surgery: Needed in 7/124 (3 S, 4 FFP)

🔍 Key Findings

• Fasting ammonia (FA) was the most specific test (100%) for confirming EHPSS closure postoperatively.
• Serum hyaluronic acid (SHA) and MEGX at 15 minutes post-lidocaine were the most sensitive tests (96.9% and 96.2%, respectively).
• SHA combined with MEGX T15, or with FA or postprandial serum bile acids (SBA), provided 100% sensitivity with good specificity (72.4–82.8%).
• SHA levels remained elevated in all dogs with persistent shunting, even when other tests were normal.
• Paired SBA had moderate sensitivity (90%) and variable specificity (89%).
• The L/MEGX test at 30 min was less useful than at 15 min for assessing closure.
• Traditional SBA testing showed reduced utility postoperatively; normal values did not rule out persistent shunting.
• Blood tests improved when combined, but imaging remains essential to definitively confirm EHPSS closure.

🔍 Key Findings

• Complication rate for subdermal plexus flaps (SPFs) in dogs was 53.6%.
• Skin staples had a numerically higher complication rate (72.2%) than sutures (49.3%), but not statistically significant due to small sample size.
• Most common complication was wound dehiscence (35%), followed by seroma (14%) and wound discharge (14%).
• Increased body weight was significantly associated with higher complication risk (OR = 1.056 per kg; p = .029).
• Advancement flaps were associated with a lower incidence of complications on univariable analysis (p < .001).
• Head region flap closures had fewer complications, while proximal pelvic limb closures had the highest complication rate.
• Age was a risk factor—each additional year increased odds of complications (OR = 1.019; p = .004).
• Closure technique did not significantly influence complication severity, though staple use was numerically worse.

🔍 Key Findings

Objective: Determine if topical 45 mg/mL amikacin in CMC gel leads to systemic absorption in dogs with wounds.

Dogs enrolled: 11 client-owned dogs, with 31 applications of the gel.

Serum findings:

• Only 5 of 153 samples were above the 2.5 µg/mL quantification limit
• All values remained <5 µg/mL, the presumed toxicity threshold
• No correlation was found between dose-related parameters (mg, mg/kg, mg/cm²) and serum amikacin levels

Peak concentrations were observed at ~2 hours post-application, declining rapidly thereafter

No nephrotoxicity observed, and most values were below detection

Conclusion: Topical amikacin gel appears safe at doses up to 24.9 mg/kg, with minimal systemic absorption

🔍 Key Findings

• No statistically significant difference in overall SSI rates: 9.2% (chlorhexidine) vs. 7.38% (iodophor) (p = .25).
• Significant drape lift occurred in 13.2% of cases; those with lift had 2.72× increased risk of SSI (p = .026).
• Increased body weight was a statistically significant risk factor for SSI (p = .008): each 1 kg increased SSI risk by 3%.
• Use of glutaraldehyde was associated with a 2.38× increased risk of SSI (p = .055, approaching significance).
• No difference in SSI rates based on surgeon training level or surgical classification (clean, clean-contaminated, contaminated).

🔍 Key Findings

• Only 1 of 12 dogs (8.3%) cultured the same single organism (Staphylococcus schleiferi) at TECA and dehiscence sites.
• In 58.3% (7/12), none of the bacteria from TECA cultures were found at dehiscence.
• Staphylococcus spp. were isolated in 83.3% of dehiscence samples.
• Methicillin resistance was high among Staphylococcus isolates: 80% at dehiscence.
• Antibiotic susceptibility differed in 57% (4/7) of cases where the same bacteria were cultured at both time points.
• TECA cultures were not predictive of bacteria at incisional dehiscence.
• 75% of dogs healed with either medical or surgical management.

Recommendation: Repeat cultures at dehiscence to guide antibiotic therapy.

🔍 Key Findings

• Algorithm 3 had the highest overall accuracy (95.5%) in diagnosing SSIs from client questionnaires.
• Active surveillance identified 19.4% more SSIs compared to passive surveillance alone.
• SSI rate was 8.22% across 754 surgeries; 33.9% of SSIs required revision surgery.
• Client-based responses were 37.9% more frequent than those from referring veterinarians.
• Deep/implant SSIs could be missed if not associated with visible wound healing problems.
• Two late SSIs (after 90 days) occurred, both linked to implant surgeries.
• Algorithm 1 was the most sensitive (87.1%) but less specific; useful for screening.
• Algorithm 2 had the highest specificity (97.9%); useful as a “rule-in” diagnostic method.

🔍 Key Findings

• Portal pressure increased proportionally with insufflation pressure: 38% at 6 mmHg, 95% at 10 mmHg, and 175% at 14 mmHg.
• Exponential model: average increase of 7.45% per mmHg of insufflation pressure (CI: 4.7–10.2%).
• No systemic hemodynamic adverse effects were observed; MAP remained >60 mmHg throughout.
• Portal hypertension threshold (15 mmHg) predicted at ~6.4 mmHg insufflation pressure.
• No statistical impact from patient weight, pressure-to-weight ratio, or order of insufflation rounds.
• Measurement technique was feasible and safe, with only minor challenges (e.g., catheter kinking).
• The study supports use of the lowest insufflation pressure needed for visualization to avoid portal hypertension.
• Baseline portal pressures returned after desufflation, supporting comparison pre- and post-attenuation.