Gastrointestinal Surgery Flashcards
Define AIVR.
Accelerated idioventricular rhythm
Define dilatation.
Something stretched beyond normal dimensions
How are patients stabilised and prepared for exploratory laparotomy?
- Starve adults 12-18 hours
- Starve puppies/kittens 4-6 hours
- No enemas
- Surgery as soon as stable/before become unstable again
Why is NSAID use avoided in exploratory laparotomy?
- Can cause gastrointestinal bleeding
- May delay gastrointestinal healing
- Can affect platelet function/clotting
- Will affect renal function if hypotensive under anaesthetic
What could be identified on radiography to indicate an exploratory laparotomy?
Abdominal effusion
Mass
Radio-opaque foreign body
Excessive gas
Signs of GI obstruction
What could be identified on ultrasonography to indicate an exploratory laparotomy?
- Abdominal effusion
- Mass
- Radio-lucent and radio-opaque foreign body
- Signs of GI obstruction
What incision is made for an exploratory laparotomy?
Large, midline, 20cm incision
What is done with falciform fat upon exploratory laparotomy incision?
Scalpel or scissors or electrosurgery – remove, haemostasis
How is visualisation improved in an exploratory laparotomy?
Abdominal packing = moistened swabs
Exteriorisation
Manoeuvres
Retractors
How is the abdomen explored in an exploratory laparotomy?
Systematic exploration = do the quadrants
How is a duodenal manoeuvre done in an exploratory laparotomy?
- Patient in dorsal recumbency
- With/without stand on patient’s left side
- Take duodenum and use the mesoduodenum like a fan to pull the abdominal contents towards you and expose the right gutter
How is a colonic manoeuvre done in an exploratory laparotomy?
- Patient in dorsal recumbency
- With/without stand on patient’s right side
- Take descending colon and use the mesocolon like a fan to pull the abdominal contents towards you and expose the left gutter
How is contamination reduced in an exploratory laparotomy prior to closure?
New gloves - glove punctures, contamination, after flushing wise to change gloves as have converted the abdomen from dirty to contaminated
New kit - may be contaminated
List the surgical diseases of the stomach.
- Gastric foreign body
- Gastric neoplasia
- Gastric dilation and volvulus
- Gastro-oesophageal hernia
- Gastric ulceration/perforation
- Hiatal hernia
- Pyloric outflow obstruction/pyloric stenosis
What are linear gastric foreign bodies?
More common in cats, need prompt diagnosis and early removal due to plication/secondary damage to small intestines
What is the presentation of gastric foreign bodies?
Could be vomiting, regurgitation, acute/chronic/intermittent, outflow obstruction, gastric distention and/or mucosal irritation
How are gastric foreign bodies treated?
Stabilisation, emesis, endoscopic removal, gastrotomy with full abdominal exploration
What are the most common gastric neoplasias in cats and dogs?
Dogs = adenocarcinoma most common
Cats = lymphoma most common
What are the clinical signs of gastric neoplasia in cats and dogs?
Chronic vomiting
Weight loss
How is gastric neoplasia investigated?
- Bloods to rule out other causes of vomiting
- Radiographs - with contrast otherwise futile
- Ultrasound - operator dependent
- Endoscopy - good, and allows for biopsies
- Staging for metastasis (70-80%)
What are the treatment options for gastric neoplasia in dogs and cats?
Surgery – wide surgical excision for all except lymphoma
Adjunctive – chemo/radiation of no benefit
Palliation – antemetics, antacids, sucralfate, often non-responsive
What is the prognosis of gastric neoplasia in dogs and cats?
Generally poor. MST 2months for gastric adenocarcinoma
What are the extrinsic risk factors of GDV?
- Diet – once daily > more than once. Large meal > smaller meals
- Eating/feeding habits – raised feeding, rapid eating
- Exercise – significant activity soon after eating
What is the non-specific presentation of GDV in dogs and cats?
- Restless, discomfort, pain
- Hypersalivation, ptyalism
- Stretching, arched back
- Early signs of shock
What is the specific presentation of GDV in dogs and cats?
- Non-productive retching
- Abdominal distension/abdominal tympany
- Mild-moderate shock
What is the advanced presentation of GDV in dogs and cats?
Moderate to severe shock with circulatory and respiratory compromise:
- Marked tachycardia (often >200bpm)
- Marked tachypnoea (often >40bpm)
- Weak/absent peripheral pulses
- Pale, dry mucous membranes
- Markedly prolonged CRT
- Mucous membranes dark raspberry red
- With/without dyspnoea
What 2 imaging modalities are the best when investigating a dog with a suspected gastric tumour?
CT and endoscopy
How does GDV cause shock?
Cardiogenic, distributive, obstructive – due to reduced blood returning to the heart from caudal vena cava compression
Hypovolaemic – relative. Much less likely as not usually dehydrated when GDV starts
What is the pathophysiology of outflow obstruction caused by GDV?
Distal oesophageal > prevents eructation
Pyloric > prevents normal outflow into duodenum
What is the pathophysiology of rotation caused by GDV?
- Can have just dilation with no volvulus
- Typically happens as dilation progresses
- Most common 180-270 degrees
- Usually clockwise looking from abdomen towards the head
What is the pathophysiology of shock caused by GDV?
- Stomach compresses caudal vena cava
- Compromised gastric mucosa > translocation of bacteria from stomach into blood stream
- Compromised blood supply to stomach
- Stomach compresses diaphragm > hypoventilation and respiratory acidosis
How are GDV patients stabilised?
- Client communication
- Gastric decompression
- IV access – minimum database, analgesia
- IVFT – big dog do IV catheter on each leg
- Oxygen
What other drugs might be considered to stabilise a GDV patient?
Antibiotics
Antiemetics
Antidysrhythmics
Why is gastric decompression done with GDV cases?
- Aggressive medical therapy may be enough to stabilise a dilation without volvulus and then can take steps to avoid recurrence when non-emergent
- Buys time to treat shock and stabilise for surgery if volvulus confirmed
- Still needs prompt surgery
When and which views of abdominal radiographs are taken in GDV?
When – after decompression
Views – right lateral, dorsolateral
What is the specific appearance of GDV on abdominal radiographs?
- Dorso-cranial displacement of the pylorus
- Gas dilation of gastric fundus
- ‘Reverse C’ from compartmentalised stomach
- Soft tissue shelf > still visible even if have decompressed the stomach
- Full 360’ twist makes interpretation more tricky
- Double bubble
What is the most common direction and degree of rotation seen in GDV?
180 degrees clockwise
Outline the surgical treatment of GDV in cats and dogs.
- Stabile patient
- Anaesthesia
- Laparotomy
- Decompression (1st)/de-rotation (2nd)
- Flushing of stomach to remove fermented gastric contents
- Gastrotomy to remove any foreign bodies and remove fermented material if can’t be flushed out per os
- Exploration
- Manage ischaemic injury
What is the presentation of gastric ischaemic damage caused by GDV once in surgery?
- Colour – grey, green, purple, black
- Thin wall
- Walls are dry, fragile or seromuscular tears
- Vasculature – no pulses, thrombi and no active bleeding
- Peristalsis – absent
What are the GDV gastropexy options?
- Incisional
- Laparoscopic – only for prophylaxis
- Percutaneous gastrotomy/PEG – useful if planning to use a feeding tube post-op
What improves GDV prognosis?
- Quick presentation
- Stable before surgery
- No gastrectomy
- No Gastropexy
- Lactate less than 7mmol/l
- No DIC
- Lactate dropping by 40%
What worsens a GDV prognosis?
- Delayed presentation
- Unstable before surgery
- Lidocaine/tachydysrhythmia
- Gastrectomy
- Splenectomy
- No gastropexy
- Lactate greater than 9mmol/l
- Lactate not dropping
- DIC present
What is the site of incision for a gastrotomy?
Avascular, halfway between lesser and greater curvature, middle of the Stomach body
What are the indications of gastrectomy?
Neoplasia
Necrosis
Perforation
When are gastrotomy tubes used and not used?
Why – functional stomach and GI tract
Why not – primary gastric pathology (vomiting/regurgitation
What are the advantages of gastrotomy tubes?
Easy to place
Large bore/unlikely to block
Easy to care for once in place
What are the disadvantages of gastrotomy tubes?
Need for GA
Hospitalisation
Not to be used for any primary gastric disease
Complications rare but potentially serious
What are the methods of placing a gastrotomy tube?
- PEG (like mini flank laparatomy)
- Surgical – can be removed few days post-op as seal more secure
- Both – put feeding tube into left flank behind last rib. Purse-string sutures to avoid leakage/contamination of abdominal cavity. Care/risks as for all feeding tubes
What suturing is used for an incisional gastropexy?
- Simple continuous suture from cranial to caudal – deepest/most dorsal tissue
- Simple continuous suture from caudal to cranial – superficial/most ventral tissue
How are patients stabilised and prepared for exploratory lapartomies in small animals?
- Starve adults 12-18 hours
- Starve puppies/kittens 4-6 hours
- No enemas
- Surgery as soon as stable/before become unstable again
Why are NSAIDs avoided where possible for exploratory laparatomies?
- Can cause gastrointestinal bleeding
- May delay gastrointestinal healing
- Can affect platelet function/clotting
- Will affect renal function if hypotensive under anaesthetic
What diagnostics are used for exploratory laparotomies?
- Minimum database
- Radiography
- Ultrasonography
- Endoscopy
What might radiography reveal that requires an exploratory laparotomy?
- Abdominal effusion
- Mass
- Radio-opaque foreign body
- Excessive gas
- Signs of GI obstruction
What might ultrasonography reveal that requires an exploratory laparotomy?
- Abdominal effusion
- Mass
- Radio-lucent and radio-opaque foreign body
- Signs of GI obstruction
Describe the incision for an exploratory laparotomy in small animals.
Large, midline, 20cm incision
How is visualisation improved in an exploratory laparotomy?
- Abdominal packing = moistened swabs
- Exteriorisation
- Manoeuvres
- Retractors
How is the abdomen explored in an exploratory laparotomy?
Systematic exploration = do the quadrants
Describe duodenal exploratory laparatomy manoeuvre.
- Patient in dorsal recumbency
- With/without stand on patient’s left side
- Take duodenum and use the mesoduodenum like a fan to pull the abdominal contents towards you and expose the right gutter
Describe colonic exploratory laparatomy manoeuvre.
- Patient in dorsal recumbency
- With/without stand on patient’s right side
- Take descending colon and use the mesocolon like a fan to pull the abdominal contents towards you and expose the left gutter
How is contamination minimised in an exploratory laparotomy?
- Glove punctures, contamination, after flushing wise to change gloves as have converted the abdomen from dirty to contaminated
- Instruments and kit – as for gloves, your kit may be contaminated
List the surgical diseases of the stomach in small animals.
Gastric foreign body
Gastric neoplasia
Gastric dilation and volvulus
Gastro-oesophageal hernia
Gastric ulceration/perforation
Hiatal hernia
Pyloric outflow obstruction/pyloric stenosis
Why do linear gastric foreign bodies need prompt diagnosis and early removal?
Due to plication/secondary damage to small intestines
How do gastric foreign bodies present in small animals?
Could be vomiting, regurgitation, acute/chronic/intermittent, outflow obstruction, gastric distention and/or mucosal irritation
How are gastric foreign bodies in small animals treated?
Stabilisation, emesis, endoscopic removal, gastrotomy with full abdominal exploration as described earlier
What are the most common gastric neoplasias in cats and dogs?
Dogs = Adenocarcinoma most common
Cats = Lymphoma most common
What are the clinical sigs of gastric neoplasia in small animals?
Chronic vomiting
Weight loss
How is gastric neoplasia in cats and dogs investigated?
- Bloods to rule out other causes of vomiting
- Imaging – radiographs (with contrast otherwise futile), ultrasound (operator dependent), endoscopy (good, and allows for biopsies)
- Staging for metastasis (70-80%)
How is gastric neoplasia in small animals treated?
- Surgery – wide surgical excision for all except lymphoma
- Adjunctive – chemo/radiation of no benefit
- Palliation – antemetics, antacids, sucralfate, often non-responsive