Abstract
Ventral slot surgery may be required in canine patients with intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation in the cervical spine. Causes of IVD herniation include trauma, neoplasia and discospondylitis. Herniation results in displacement of disc material into the vertebral canal, causing damage to or inflammation of the spinal cord. Patients can initially appear with varied presentations, from pain to recumbency. Management of the postoperative patient requires intensive monitoring and nursing care. Assessing the progression or deterioration of these patients is vital to allow further and potentially life-saving interventions to be implemented. Nursing care can include pain assessment and management; bladder management, such as expression and assisted posturing; exercise rehabilitation to allow return to normal movement; stress reduction, such as interaction; and enrichment and nutritional management, such as assisted feeding. This article discusses how these patients present, surgical interventions, assessment, post-anaesthetic recovery and ongoing monitoring. Postoperative complications are also discussed, along with how to identify these complications and what nursing care to implement for the benefit of the patient and its recovery.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
