Highlights:

This unique and comprehensive Veterinary Surgical Training Academy’s intermediate level course covers the basic and intermediate techniques of suturing, instrument handling and stapling when used to perform gastrointestinal tract surgery in small animals. It is a practical hands-on intensive one-day workshop covering the full range of commonly performed gastric and small and large bowel procedures. These are fundamental techniques that all general small animal surgeons should know and be proficient to perform confidently and safely. During the workshop the techniques will be explained and demonstrated before each delegate is able to carry out the procedure themselves under close supervision. You can expect to carry out numerous fundamental surgical procedures during the day with emphasis on how each procedure can be performed in a reliable and safe manner.

Topics to be covered:

• Instrumentation and suture guidance for gastrointestinal tract surgery
• Hand sewn bowel anastomoses, enterotomies and enterectomies
• Use of stapling devices for small bowel anastomoses and enterectomies
• Gastric: pyloroplasty, gastrotomy, partial gastrectomy and gastropexy
• Small bowel: full thickeness biopsy, enterotomy, enterectomy
• Large bowel: colonopexy

Learning Objectives:

• Surgical principles, instrumentation and suture requirements for safe gastrointestinal tract surgery in small animals
• Hands-on practical experience of gastrotomy, partial gastrectomy, pyloroplasty, gastropexy, small bowel enterotomy, full thickness biopsy, enterectomy & anastomosis and colonopexy
• The safe use of surgical stapling equipment in gastrointestinal tract surgery
• Outcomes, risks, complications - and their management - associated with each surgical procedure

Required delegate attributes or who this course is suitable for:

The course is suitable for qualified veterinary surgeons at any level of training especially those actually performing gastrointestinal tract surgery on a regular basis. Ideally (but not essential), delegates will have already attended the VSTA’s Veterinary Core Surgical Skills course