Approach to haemoabdomen and surgical tips for performing a safe and efficient splenectomy
Dogs and cats presenting with spontaneous haemoabdomen may have surgical or non-surgical underlying causes. Identifying non-surgical causes is critical for avoiding an unnecessary and potentially detrimental exploratory laparotomy, and careful pre-operative resuscitation is key for anaesthetic safety and surgical success. Some surgical causes e.g. a ruptured spleen are much more straightforward to manage than others e.g. a ruptured liver or adrenal mass so imaging and pre-operative planning is important. Practical tips for stabilisation and surgical management of haemoabdomen will be shared. Success of surgically managed haemoabdomen is also dictated by optimal peri-operative anaesthesia, analgesia and critical care so careful attention needs to paid to these aspects. Latest updates on post-operative chemotherapeutic options and prognosis will be presented.
At the end of the lecture the delegate will:
- Know the essentials of stabilising haemoabdomen patients
- Understand the importance of careful planning, including imaging for determining which haemoabdomen cases should undergo exploratory laparotomy.
- Have learnt practical tips for performing a safe splenectomy