Page 29 - Eclipse - Autumn/Winter 2023

CLINICAL NEWS

Exotics radiosurgery

he acquisition of a radiosurgical abnormal tissue to be removed with
unit and surgical magnification minimal blood loss, in a way that
loupes by the Exotics Service has would not have been possible with a
Tgreatly expanded the depth and conventional surgical approach.
breadth of care that can be delivered.
The cockroach anatomy was similarly
The equipment has proven invaluable tiny, and the loupes allowed the clinicians
in cases where patient size has made to identify the tissues involved in the
visualisation of anatomical structures prolapse. That would not have been
challenging and accurate haemostasis possible without them.
essential. Both were acquired with the Radiosurgery is also regularly used
support of the RVC’s Animal Care Trust.
in larger patients, such as rabbits,
Since their arrival last year, both the to enable control of bleeding to
radiosurgical unit and the surgical loupes maximise visualisation of the surgical
have been used regularly. This has field. Examples include nephrectomy
enabled the team to perform surgical in a rabbit with a kidney tumour and
interventions previously deemed too amputation of the leg of a parrot
risky, especially for smaller patients. following irreparable damage caused
by a cat attack.
Surgeons previously relied on clamping
vessels with forceps and then tying off Efficiency, safety and
with suture material to control bleeding. sharing advances
Radiosurgery makes this process much Both pieces of equipment have widened
more efficient for small vessels, using the team’s surgical and procedural
a bipolar handpiece. A monopolar repertoire, while enhancing patient
handpiece allows clinicians to control safety. The ability to control bleeding
milder haemorrhage from tiny vessels in without the need for large forceps and
fat, for example, which improves surgical suture material makes surgery faster and
field visualisation. more efficient, which has an impact on

Case examples procedure outcomes.
Examples of use in very small patients The enhanced capacity allows the
include ovariectomy for treatment of specialists to inspire the next generation
follicular stasis in a 61-gram leopard of veterinarians on both undergraduate
gecko and surgical replacement of a and postgraduate programmes.
prolapse in a 5-gram hissing cockroach The ability to perform more complex
(both pictured). procedures on small exotic animal
species is essential as they continue
The gecko had an ovarian cyst with to develop both the European College
a complex blood supply. The surgical of Zoological Medicine (ECZM)
loupes allowed the team to clearly Herpetology residency and the Exotic
visualise the ovary and surrounding Animal internship programmes.
anatomy. Radiosurgery allowed the

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