Advantages of Field Surgery
• low overhead
• relative mobility
• potentially lower costs for the owner
• usually excellent footing for recovering the horse from anesthesia
• warm, fuzzy feeling when all goes well
Disadvantages
• often less than desirable conditions and assistants
• inevitable complications can be difficult to manage
• a clean field is difficult to maintain
• administration of safe and reliable anesthesia may not always be achieved
• a seemingly unlimited opportunity for failure
What are we talking about?
• Procedures that can be done in < 1 hour
• Procedures that do not enter the abdomen or joint
• Procedures that do not require "Special" equipment.
• Ideally, you need at least one trained assistant to adequately perform most of these selected distal limb, head,
and neck surgeries.
• veterinary school training likely did not provide enough experience to perform all of these procedures
• review the anatomy
• study the procedure including potential complications and pitfalls
• practice the procedures on cadaver specimens prior to performing the procedure on a client animal
• learn how to effectively use the anesthetic protocols required for the specific procedures.
Field Anesthesia
• Equine field surgery requires portable anesthesia
• Elective procedures
• Generally healthy
• Requires knowledge of drugs used
• Supportive care
• Epidural procedures
Typical instrument pack
• needle driver
• several mosquito and Kelly forceps
• thumb forceps
• tissue forceps
• suture scissors
• tissue scissors
• several towel clamps
• scalpel handles & blades
• gauze sponges
• disposable drapes
Specific Field Surgeries
Distal limb surgeries
• Periosteal stripping
• Transphyseal bridging
• Annular ligament desmotomy
• Lateral Digital Extensor Tenectomy
• Medial Patellar Ligament Desmotomy
• Distal check ligament desmotomy
• Proximal check ligament desmotomy
• Distal splint bone resection
• Deep digital flexor tenotomy
• Semitendinosus Tenotomy and Myotomy
• Palmar digital neurectomy
