Observing surgery

Earlier this week I had the unique opportunity of observing some veterinary surgery. I am sure many of you are trying to figure out what use this would serve for a Massage Therapist. After all, what does a dog being spayed have to do with massage therapy? Well, quite a bit.

Though I am hoping to observe some more orthopaedic surgeries (i.e knee repairs) being able to observe any surgery was an interesting exercise. When it comes down to it the structure of mammals (the hairy, live young bearing, nursing creatures of the planet) is very much similar. The skeleton is made up of almost exactly the same bones that interact in very much similar ways through the action of very similar muscles. Four-legged mammals to have some differences in how the limbs interact with the torso and the proportions of the bones and muscles are different, but there is more the same than different.

In a general sense seeing the basic process of how you cut into a living being was educational. An opportunity to see all the layers of fascia and tissue that I have learned were there and what they actually look like. Seeing tissue not in a drawing or a film of preserved tissue, but “in vivo” - “in life” - is quite different.

My first surprise though came in seeing how limp the animals were when they are brought, already anaesthetized to the table. For everyone who has seen a truly ASLEEP baby when all the limbs splay out and you are are sure that even swinging by the ankles would not disturb them are less limp than this. Everything is simply floppy. The next surprise was how quickly admission into the body is gained, and how little blood there actually is. The third, and perhaps largest surprise, came once the outer tissue had been cut through and I realized how truly separate the outer layers of skin, fascia and muscle were from all the organs lying underneath. Everything could simply be lifted up so the vet could see around the abdomen, and there was no blood in there. Well, there was blood, but it was all tidily where it belonged, in the blood vessels and the tissue.

All I saw that day were spays, the removal of the ovaries and uterus of young female dogs. The surgeries were quick and even with the poking, pulling, tying, cutting, and a bit of tearing too, there was very little blood and the incisions were virtually invisible. Within about a half hour the dogs were rousing and most did not seem particularly troubled. Though a bit drowsy, only one whimpered a bit, but then she managed to get close to one of the other dogs and she was calm again. None seemed to be in great pain or distress. Having experienced a few surgeries of my own I must say I was not so sanguine after. Apparently our pets are more stoic than ourselves.

From this experience I am taking away an new wonder with the body and the its structure. The amazing way in which all its parts work together with so little muss and fuss. The wonderous way that modern medicine can insert itself (literally) into that system and come away having solved some issue, or prevented some other issue, without having greatly impacted the system as a whole. Thank-you to the veterinarian and vet assistants who made me welcome and were happy to share the whys, wherefore, and how comes of what they did. I hope I will have the chance to come back.