Surgical considerations in the emergent small animal patient

To ensure a successful outcome when performing emergency surgery, the clinician must have the knowledge to be able to assess the patient to determine that surgical intervention is necessary, and to determine the urgency of the procedure. The clinician must have the skills to manage common surgical emergency procedures and the equipment necessary to perform the surgery. This article discusses surgical considerations for the emergent patient, including preoperative patient assessment, readiness, surgical instrumentation, and patient preparation. An overview of the trauma triad of death, options for providing effective hemostasis, damage control surgery, peritoneal lavage and drainage, and wound management are reviewed.