It occurs to me that I haven't posted very many photos lately, and it's been quite a while since I've posted any of gross stuff. Last night at work I managed to get a really good one, though. Since I know some of you are delicate, I'll just put it up here in thumbnail size (You know what to do).
This is a fat, middle-aged weimaraner who had been vomiting on and off for a few days - had been hospitalized here, sent elsewhere for an ultrasound, went home and didn't improve, and ended up back here - and nobody could quite figure out what was causing the problem. So the decision was made to go in and do an exploratory, and I found this section of infarcted bowel.
While this sort of thing isn't unheard of in dogs, I believe it's the first one I've seen in 14 years of practice. At least in a dog who was still alive. This guy was likely within 24 hours of having this rotten bowel perforate. And I do mean rotten - this stuff stinks to high heaven. Had it done so, he would have joined the body count of what was a very. bad. night.
Now, though, the nastiness has been cut out and the rest has been pieced painstakingly back together. We won't know for certain if he's out of the woods for another week, as the repair can always break down and start to leak. I'm paranoid about these things and my track record is actually very good as a result, but I worry about every single bowel surgery I do. Which is probably why I don't like doing them very much.
And no, I didn't have time to work on the kilt hose, but I'm just a few rounds shy of starting the bottom-of-calf decreases.
6 comments:
WOW, some might think I'm gross (my daughter, for one); but stuff like that doesn't make me ill. I'm fascinated; it's like watching the Discovery Health channel. There may be some gross pictures, but you learn something. That doggie must have really been hurting!
All best wishes, Mel and David, for beautiful weather, a lovely and meaningful ceremony, and many more years of happiness and devotion. (And also a full pair of gorgeous kilt hose)
(And, having just had abdominal surgery myself, hooray for painstaking surgeons everywhere.)
I'll come to your house to view the shade cards. Just waiting on the invitation. out of curiosity, when is your birthday? it says that you're an aries........
Ditto to both Julie and Maureen.
Combined, they both wrote exactly what I came out here to write.
All the best...QJoe
Rotten bowels and kilt hose do not mix. I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere. You have a pass on the knitting when you are putting organs back together.
Looks just like people, just a smaller scale. Dead bowel is never a good thing. Do you get enough anastomosis practice in routine surgeries?
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