Soft Tissue Surgery in Reptiles

This review article outlines soft tissue surgery in reptiles, emphasizing adaptation of domestic carnivore principles to reptile anatomy and physiology. It covers inclusion criteria for literature, preoperative management (thermoregulation, fasting, fluids, analgesia, and antibiotics), and species-specific considerations for patient handling and asepsis. Detailed sections describe surgical approaches across systems: skin and subcutaneous tissue, venous/arterial vasculature (aneurysms), coelomic surgery (coeliotomy approaches for saurians, ophidians, chelonians, and crocodilians), digestive tract procedures (gastrotomy, enterectomy, and anastomosis), hepatobiliary interventions (cholecystectomy and hepatectomy), urinary tract, reproductive tract (ovariectomy, salpingectomy, and orchidectomy), and miscellaneous fat pad surgery, highlighting species variation and practical techniques.