Primary Veterinarian Availability
To maintain continuity of care and provide the best experience for the pet owner, it is expected that the primary veterinarian on the case be in the building for the duration of the surgery and available for a pre- and post-operative discussion with Dr. Serratore.
Fasting and Oral Medications
All pets should be fasted for the day of surgery. Unless otherwise specified, no food after midnight the night before, but water is ok. A very small treat can be given the morning of surgery if needed for pill administration. If there are questions about what medications can be given the morning of surgery, don’t hesitate to ask ahead of time.
Surgery Consent Form Signature
Upon drop off, every pet owner needs to sign the Surgery Consent Form. In some circumstances, it may need to be read to the owner over the phone and a verbal signature obtained. Surgery will not be performed without full completion of this form. Please provide a hard copy to Dr. Serratore upon arrival.
IV Catheter Placement and IV Fluid Administration
To improve surgery efficiency and reduce the risk of intra-operative hypotension, it is best for hospital staff to place an IV catheter and initiate maintenance IV fluids prior to the surgery team’s arrival. It is important that the pet is dropped off early enough to be able to complete all the above.
Hospital Staff Availability
We will need a hospital staff member to be available to draw up, and appropriately log, all surgery medications for the pet prior to our arrival. Our team will provide the medication list via email the night before surgery. Due to the variations in radiograph systems between clinics, we will also need a staff member available to assist with pre- and post-operative radiographs. Our team will help with positioning of the pet. Please be aware that if Dr. Serratore does not bring her own surgery and anesthesia technicians, staff will be needed to induce and monitor anesthesia, as well as scrub in and assist with surgery. It is the responsibility of the host hospital to plan accordingly.
OR Suite and Induction Area
A clean OR suite is essential to maximizing a positive outcome and reducing the risk of surgical infection. The OR suite should include a stable OR table completely covered with clean towels, 4 leashes for patient positioning, patient warming device (bair hugger, hotdog system, etc.), instrument table, empty garbage can, IV fluid pole or alternative place to hang IV fluids, method for hanging and scrubbing a limb, properly functioning anesthesia machine with appropriately sized bags and tubes, and full anesthetic monitoring equipment. A separate clean induction area is also needed including towels, garbage can, vacuum cleaner, endotracheal tubes, anesthesia machine with appropriately sized bags and tubes, and anesthetic monitoring equipment. We will leave the OR as clean as we can, but because our primary focus is on the pet and surgical equipment, it is the responsibility of the hospital staff to fully clean the OR suite after surgery. An empty sink will be needed for the initial cleaning of all surgical instrumentation used.
Post-Operative Care
Our team will help monitor the pet until extubation, after which the responsibility for continued care falls on the host hospital. Immediate post-operative care and discharge instructions will be discussed with the primary veterinarian after each case. All tissue samples taken in surgery will be passed off to the primary veterinarian for proper packaging and submission. We encourage direct communication between the primary veterinarian and Dr. Serratore with any subsequent post-operative concerns.
Find out What Your Neighbors Are Saying About Us
Dr. Serratore performed surgery on my 11-year-old male GSD on Thursday, November 3rd to remove a large and probably malignant tumor from his throat. She did a magnificent job, and my boy (Qanuk) was able to come home with me Thursday afternoon. He is doing just great, eating well and wanting to play! Dr. Serratore was extremely professional and worked very hard to give me all of our options along with their pros and cons. I cannot thank her enough for her efforts! I would VERY highly recommend Dr. Serratore to anyone looking for a skilled, caring and professional veterinary surgeon.
Bill Waz
Dr. Serratore is very knowledgeable and professional. Our pet needed a complex surgery, and we were very nervous about it. She was wonderful and took the time to answer all of our questions. We greatly appreciated her attention to detail and commitment to providing the best possible care for her patients. She and her staff go above and beyond to ensure her patients receive the highest level of care possible and that the pet owner(s) feel supported.
Vik Buzzard
My 11 year old Rottweiler needed a complex surgery last month for an anal mass. Dr. Serratore was amazing, we are so very grateful to her, and her staff. Mr. Roo/Hans is doing fantastic, he will turn 12 years old in May. We cannot thank her enough for everything. I highly recommend Dr. Serratore, if your pet needs a highly skilled veterinary surgeon she is the best!
Joette Shaw
Happy patient from 2023