Operating Theatre

The operating theatre is a large, purpose-built room containing a special operating table, which can be adapted to position the patient optimally for the surgical procedure underway. Two adjoining padded rooms permit the safe induction and recovery from general anaesthesia.

Theatre is designed for both elective and emergency surgery. Facilities available are intra-operative digital radiography, a full complement of ASIF equipment for fracture repair and state-of-the-art arthroscopy equipment, making it ideally placed for all orthopaedic surgery. This includes examination and lavage of infected joints and tendon sheaths.

Our soft tissue surgery caseload is extensive, and we routinely undertake wind surgery, castration, ovariectomy, colic surgery and laser sarcoid removal.

Horses under general anaesthesia receive careful monitoring, which includes continuous measurement of blood pressure, ECG and inhaled and exhaled gases. Where needed, breathing can be controlled artificially using a mechanical ventilator.

At the end of surgery, horses are moved to a padded box using an electrical hoist, where monitoring continues throughout the assisted recovery.