BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Surgical Principles

This is a foundation level manual in the popular series from the BSAVA. It presents the basic principles upon which the practice of modern veterinary surgery is based. The principles of surgery will often dictate the outcome of a surgical procedure, more so than the use of the most up-to-date technique, and the surgeon ignores them at their peril. The BSAVA Manual of Surgical Principles presents a solid grounding in the basic principles, with practical examples of why they are important, creating a manual that is very readable and relevant for the veterinary surgeon in practice. Surgical facilities

design, management, equipment and personnel / Terry Emmerson

Sterilization and disinfection / Michael H. Hamilton

Surgical instruments

types and use / Nicholas J. Bacon

Suture materials / Stephen J. Baines

Surgical staplers / Vicky Lipscomb

Surgical lasers / Noel Berger and Peter H Eeg

Preoperative assessment / Kathryn M. Pratschke

Preoperative stabilization / David Holt and Jeffrey Wilson

Fluid therapy, and electrolyte and acid-base abnormalities / Karen Humm and Sophie Adamantos

Shock, sepsis and SIRS / Andrew J. Brown

The immune and inflammatory response to anaesthesia and surgery / Elizabeth Armitage-Chan and Stephen J. Baines

Postoperative management / Arthur House and Robert Goggs

Principles and practice of analgesia / Veronica Salazar and Elizabeth A. Leece

Principles of nutritional support / Daniel L. Chan

Aseptic technique / Tim Hutchinson

Healing of elective surgical wounds / Davina Anderson

Surgical wound infection and antimicrobial prophylaxis / Chris Shales

Hospital-acquired infection / Anette Loeffler

Haemostasis and blood component therapy / Gillian R. Gibson

Principles of operative technique / Geraldine B. Hunt

Suture patterns and surgical knots / Thomas Sissener

"The use of photos and graphics was very appropriate and informative, and the photography was of a very high quality ... In general I found the text very thorough and useful for the clinical veterinarian. All the individual chapters are perfectly executed." (Clínica Veterinaria Casa de Campo, 2012)

Stephen Baines MA VetMB PhD CertVR CertSAS DipECVS MRCVS
RCVS and European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery
Stephen qualified from Cambridge University in 1990. He held an internship at North Carolina State University and then spent a year in general practice before taking up a residency in small animal surgery at the University of Liverpool. In 2000 he completed a PhD in canine tumour biology at Cambridge, where he remained as a lecturer. In 2004 he moved to the Royal Veterinary College, becoming a senior lecturer and head of surgery. Stephen moved to his current position at the Willows Veterinary Centre in 2011. Stephen is interested in clinical oncology, wound management and reconstructive surgery, and minimally invasive surgery.

Vicky Lipscomb MA VetMB CertSAS FHEA DipECVS MRCVS
European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery
Vicky graduated from Cambridge University in 1996 and has spent time in both general and referral practice. Vicky completed her specialist surgical training at the Royal Veterinary College in 2001, gaining the European Diploma in Small Animal Surgery in 2002. Vicky returned to the RVC as a lecturer in 2003, becoming a senior lecturer and head of soft tissue surgery in 2011. Vicky is interested in all aspects of soft tissue surgery, enjoys teaching and lecturing on soft tissue surgery topics, and has a particular interest in clinical research of congenital portosystemic shunts.

Tim Hutchinson BVSc CertSAS MRCVS
Tim graduated from the University of Liverpool in 1994 and has worked in private practice ever since. Tim gained his certificate in soft tissue surgery in 2002. Since 1998 Tim has worked at Larkmead Veterinary Group in South Oxfordshire, a member of XLVets - a group of independent practices, with a nationwide footprint, cooperating to provide ‘Excellence in Practice'. Tim currently divides his time between referral surgical work and a managing partner role.

Meticulous attention to the basic principles of surgery is critical if a good surgical outcome is to be achieved. Good surgeons are not those who are simply skilled at surgery, but those who ensure that every aspect of patient care is performed at the highest standard. Complications that arise following surgery are often attributable to a lack of understanding or appreciation of the importance of these basic principles.

The BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Surgical Principles provides a solid grounding in best practice for the basic principles of veterinary surgery, which will be particularly helpful for veterinary students, new graduates and veterinary nurses as well as any veterinary surgeon wishing to update their knowledge.

• Surgical facilities and equipment
• Perioperative considerations for the surgical patient
• Surgical biology and techniques