Basically the vet told us her stifle (knee joint) was loose and she could feel the signature "drawer" movement associated with a cruciate tear. Just a little background information for those of you who may not know. The cranial cruciate ligament is equivalent to the ACL in humans. Its main job is stabilizing the knee joint and when it is torn, the femur is able to slide down the tibial plateau (top of the shin bone) causing the joint to be unstable and painful. Our vet, Dr. Fuller, told us she would most likely need surgery and it would have to be done by a specialist because she was too big to have the traditional extracapsular repair surgery they do in the office. In that procedure they use a synthetic suture material to mimic the cruciate ligament. Unfortunately the material used is not very strong and is not good in larger, high energy dogs. Heidi weighs 70 pounds and is full of energy. Dr. Fuller did x-rays to rule out any other problems and referred us to NC State University Vet School's Orthopedic department. We were glad to go to the vet school because we know they are the best of the best. Not to mention we're NCSU alumni and a hardcore Wolfpack family- go Pack!
Our first appointment at the vet school was December 7th; exactly a year from the day I picked her up and brought her home from the shelter. It was an all day affair. First a 4th year veterinary student, Susan, did a regular and ortho exam on Heidi, then we met with Dr. Tuohy (a resident) and Dr. Roe (who has been a veterinarian for 20+ years) and discussed our options. Basically we had 3 choices: conservative management, extracapsular surgery, or Triple Tibial Osteotomy (TTO) surgery. Conservative management would mean no surgery, just strict confinement for 8ish weeks to see if the knee would stabilize on it's own. This would probably mean she could never run free and crazy again without putting her knee at risk. Plus some dogs knees never become stable and it puts them at risk for developing arthritis and eventually lameness. Extracapsular surgery is the one I mentioned earlier with the synthetic suture material and although Dr. Roe said he has done it on larger dogs than Heidi, it may not be the best choice for us because of her age and energy level. That also would mean she'd probably have to take it easy for the rest of her life. The TTO seemed like the best option. During this surgery they basically reshape the tibia so it doesn't allow the slippage (is that a word?) of the femur. My main goal for post surgery was for Heidi to be able to run and play like she used to. She's young and deserves the best quality of life possible in my opinion, and the TTO surgery can give her that. Also a factor in our decision was the price. The extracapsular surgery was only a few hundred dollars less than the TTO and it seemed like a better deal all around to have the TTO. So we booked Heidi's TTO surgery for the following Friday, December 16.
Our first appointment at the vet school was December 7th; exactly a year from the day I picked her up and brought her home from the shelter. It was an all day affair. First a 4th year veterinary student, Susan, did a regular and ortho exam on Heidi, then we met with Dr. Tuohy (a resident) and Dr. Roe (who has been a veterinarian for 20+ years) and discussed our options. Basically we had 3 choices: conservative management, extracapsular surgery, or Triple Tibial Osteotomy (TTO) surgery. Conservative management would mean no surgery, just strict confinement for 8ish weeks to see if the knee would stabilize on it's own. This would probably mean she could never run free and crazy again without putting her knee at risk. Plus some dogs knees never become stable and it puts them at risk for developing arthritis and eventually lameness. Extracapsular surgery is the one I mentioned earlier with the synthetic suture material and although Dr. Roe said he has done it on larger dogs than Heidi, it may not be the best choice for us because of her age and energy level. That also would mean she'd probably have to take it easy for the rest of her life. The TTO seemed like the best option. During this surgery they basically reshape the tibia so it doesn't allow the slippage (is that a word?) of the femur. My main goal for post surgery was for Heidi to be able to run and play like she used to. She's young and deserves the best quality of life possible in my opinion, and the TTO surgery can give her that. Also a factor in our decision was the price. The extracapsular surgery was only a few hundred dollars less than the TTO and it seemed like a better deal all around to have the TTO. So we booked Heidi's TTO surgery for the following Friday, December 16.
 |
| a super-cute statue at the vet school |
No comments:
Post a Comment