SURGERY
Norwalk Animal Hospital offers the experience to use advanced surgical techniques and technology for dogs and cats. Our surgical services and facilities include:
- LASER Surgery. Norwalk Animal Hospital is one of the most experienced veterinary hospitals in the county capable of performing LASER surgery. LASER technology reduces surgical trauma to your pet, improves recovery and thus can shorten their hospital stay. Click here to read more about LASER surgery.
- Cryosurgery. Cryosurgery is an alternative method of surgery performed by freezing tissue rather than using a traditional scalpel blade. This is done by rapidly applying extreme cold produced by liquid nitrogen to the abnormal tissue. Click here to read more about cryosurgery.
- Radiosurgery. Radiosurgery is a state-of-the-art method of cutting and coagulating (cauterizing) tissue using high frequency radio waves. Radiosurgery reduces the bleeding involved in surgical procedures, such as tissue removal. Small blood vessels and lymphatic vessels are sealed by the radio waves. By sealing the small blood and lymphatic vessels we have a clearer field in which to operate, thereby increasing the level of surgical precision. Click here to read more about radiosurgery.
- Fully equipped surgical suite capable of performing every type of soft tissue and orthopedic surgery
- A fully trained veterinary and technical nursing staff to ensure the safest, most efficient state-of-the-art procedures for your pet
- Anesthetic monitoring equipment such as ECG and oxygen saturation monitors
- Heated surgery tables for greater comfort and faster recovery for your pet
- Monitored sterilization techniques to verify sterilization is complete
- Full pre-anesthetic blood testing and intensive after-surgery care
We perform all types of general and orthopedic surgery, including:
- Eye, Ear and Oral surgery
- Soft tissue/general surgery
- Orthopedic surgery
- Spay and Neuter procedures
- Declaw (using only LASER surgery)
- Emergency surgery (laceration repair, wound repair, foreign object removal, emergency orthopedic surgery such as fracture repair)
Once the procedure is completed, a member of our nursing staff will call you with a status report. When you pick up your pet, the doctor or nurse will review the procedure with you and send you home with easy to understand aftercare instructions. We will call you within a few days to check on your pet and answer any additional questions.
Patient Monitoring
We provide the same level of close patient monitoring that you would receive if you were having surgery on yourself. We monitor all of your pet’s vital signs with state-of-the-art equipment, as well as manual techniques. Pets are monitored during surgery using pulse oximetry, respiratory monitoring, EKG, temperature monitoring and are given oxygen.
Pain Management
Your pet's comfort is out top priority. At Norwalk Animal Hospital, we believe in maximizing the comfort of your pet before, during and after his/her procedure. Proper pain management also improves your pet’s recovery and speeds the healing process. We administer pain medication before beginning the procedure, during the procedure and post-operatively as needed by your pet.
We use a multi-modal approach to pain management. A multi-modal approach refers to the layered administration of small amounts of different drugs to minimize any pain that your pet might feel during or after the procedure. When we administer lower doses of each individual drug, your pet will experience fewer adverse side effects, more complete pain relief and faster post-operative recovery.
By using a multi-modal approach, we use quantitatively far less of any one drug, which is the safest pain management technique possible. By using this technique we are able to safely minimize the pain your pet might feel at all of the pain gateways: locally (tissue level), at the spinal cord and in the brain.
