Abdominal Surgery

The abdomen

The abdomen extends from the diaphragm rostrally to the pelvic cavity caudally and contains the liver, kidneys, bladder, spleen, pancreas, adrenal glands and most of the gastrointestinal tract. Any of these organs can require surgery.
The photograph here on the left shows a large pararenal cyst in a cat's abdomen.

The urinary tract

Condintions of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra are often investigated by contrast radiography and/or CT scanning initially, along with with ultrasound examination and laboratory testing of blood and urine. Urethroscopy and cystoscopy (see picture to the right) are also practical in female patients.

Due to the inaccessibility of parts of the urinary tract to endoscopes and the resulting difficulty of performing endoscopic surgery for many urinary conditions, traditional surgery is still frequently necessary. The photograph on the left was taken during an operation to correct "ectopic ureters". Note that the primary surgeon is wearing magnifying loupes. Magnification and good lighting is essential when dealing with fine delicate structures like th ureters. When dealing with even smaller structures the surgeons will use one of AMCRS's operating microscopes (see the ophthalmic surgery pagefor pictures).