General Surgery
At Rossdales Equine Hospital we carry out in excess of 1,500 surgical procedures per year, of which half are carried out under general anaesthesia. We have two state-of-the-art operating theatres, one of which is dedicated to orthopaedic procedures. We have two specially designed recovery boxes, with rope-assisted recovery systems and a separate anaesthesia induction room. This allows us to accommodate many procedures in one day and, if the need arises, multiple procedures taking place at the same time. Examples of the type of surgery we carry out with the patients routinely under a general anaesthetic are:
- Orthopaedic surgery (including 'keyhole' surgery, tendon and ligament procedures and some fracture repairs).
- Colic and abdominal surgery
- Caesarean section
- Airway surgeries
Standing surgery
The remaining surgeries are performed in our standing surgery suite, using carefully designed sedation regimes and specific local anaesthetic techniques. Rossdales surgeons are at the forefront of constantly evolving techniques that will likely see many more surgeries being carried out on the standing horse in the future. Examples of surgeries routinely performed with the horse standing are:
- Airway surgery (including traditional and laser surgery)
- Sinus surgery (using minimally-invasive sinoscopy and traditional ‘bone flaps’)
- Dental surgery (including extractions, periodontal treatment, restorations and endodontic treatment and fillings)
- Laparoscopy ('keyhole' surgery of the abdomen, e.g. ‘rig’ castrations, ovary removal, urogenital surgery)
- Eye surgery
- Fracture repair (lower limbs and head trauma)
- Back surgery (e.g. for 'kissing spines')
- Reproductive tract surgery
- Skin surgery (including sarcoid removal and skin grafts)
Specialist surgical team
All of our surgeons are Diplomates of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS), and registered as European or RCVS specialist surgeons. This accreditation shows that every member of the surgery team has undergone rigorous training in all aspects of equine surgery, and they are familiar and experienced in all current techniques. Each team member has specific areas of equine surgery to which they dedicate most of their time and our reception team will guide you to the correct specialist, depending on patient requirements.