Dogs and Cats in a row

Veterinary Orthopedic Surgery

orthopedic-surgery

While orthopedic surgery is common, especially as pets begin to age, the success of these procedures can dictate the quality of your pet’s life. For this reason, many local pet hospitals will send their patients to a veterinary surgeon. Dr. Phil Zeltzman is one such specialist. The difference, however, is that Dr. Zeltzman travels to your family vet’s clinic, performing the procedure as close to your home as possible.

There is a wide range of orthopedic procedures your pet may undergo. Some of the more common include:

ACL Repair

The most common procedure Dr. Zeltzman performs is ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) surgery. The ACL or CCL is a ligament that connects the bone above the knee (femur) to the bone below (tibia). Due to injury, age, or being overweight, the ACL can rupture or tear. When this happens, the knee becomes unstable. Left untreated, the injury causes pain and results in irreversible joint damage and arthritis, as well as lameness. However, with surgery most dogs have a full recovery and can go back to having a happy life.

Procedures Dr. Zeltzman offers, depending on the patient, to address an ACL tear include:

  • Nylon sutures (lateral suture or fabello-tibial sutures)
  • TPLO (tibial plateau leveling osteotomy)
  • CBLO (CORA-based leveling osteotomy)
  • TTA (tibial tuberosity advancement)

Dr. Zeltzman has performed thousands of these procedures in dogs (and cats), ranging from less than 5 pounds to more than 250 pounds.

Fracture Repair

From being hit by a car to suffering a fall, there are multiple reasons your pet may suffer a fractured or broken bone. Most fractures require surgery to be repaired and a full recovery to occur.

Joint Dislocation

Every joint in your dog or cat’s body has the ability to dislocate. Some dislocations are congenital, while others are a result of trauma. The most common joint dislocation for pets is the kneecap, which can actually occur in both knees simultaneously. When this happens, the kneecap slides out of the groove that is supposed to hold it in place at the bottom of the femur. Surgery is required to stop the pain and slow down arthritis.

FHO (Hip Surgery)

The femoral head ostectomy (FHO) is a surgery of the hip. It is performed for reasons that include hip dysplasia, fractures, dislocations, or deterioration of the bone caused by congenital disease.

For more information about the orthopedic surgeries he performs, please contact Dr. Zeltzman today.

Other orthopedic procedures Dr. Zeltzman can help with include:

Knee surgery

  • ACL surgery (standard or extracapsular repair)
  • Kneecap dislocation (patellar luxation)
  • Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO)
  • Cora Based Leveling Osteotomy (CBLO)

Hip surgery (hip dysplasia and fractures)

  • Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO)
  • Hip dislocation (luxation)
  • Juvenile Pubic Symphysiodesis (JPS)

Shoulder surgery

  • Dislocation (luxation)
  • Osteo-Chondritis Dissecans (OCD)

Elbow surgery

  • Fragmented Coronoid Process (FCP)
  • Osteo-Chondritis Dissecans (OCD)
  • Ununited Anconeal Process (UAP)
  • Elbow dysplasia

Joint surgery

  • Arthrodesis (joint fusion)
  • Dislocation repair (luxation)
  • Ligament rupture (tear) repair
  • Tendon rupture (tear) repair

Fracture repair

  • External fixator
  • Plate and screws
  • Pins
  • Wires