ACL surgery - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Stacy55 · 02-07-2012, 09:16 PM

My yorkie has been limping since Friday night after jumping off a chair. I had quickly jumped to conclusions and thought it was because he had a history with luxating patella (that had not been treated with surgery yet). Took him to the vet today and the vet was able to tell that there was complete tearing of the ACL from simple physical examination of the leg. So he came up with a plan for me: updating vaccinations (although I strongly dislike the idea of injecting my baby with so many unnecessary shots- it's apparently required to enter the hospital), dental care, an all-around check-up because he's now 5.5 years old, and last but not least the ACL surgery. I was wondering if the ACL surgery has many risks? And how you can tell if the vet is qualified to perform this surgery (this is only my 2nd visit at this particular vet)? I really appreciate those who have read this. Thank you for your time.

Mom to Hot Rod · 02-07-2012, 11:01 PM

So sorry for your little one. I am not familiar with the particular risks, if any, concerning ACL surgery. I just wanted to say in general, surgeries have their risks in themselves. As for a qualified surgeon, I would research and make sure that the surgeon is board certified and is familiar with small breed animals.

My boy had lp surgery and we were very lucky in that we have a wonderful facility close to use. The surgeons are board certified and our surgeon has a rescue yorkie himself.

You can always seek a second opinion and I would definitely do so. Is this vet a surgeon? or his recommending you see a specialist? Since you do not have a long history with him, maybe you could ask them for any names that they could give you of patients that he has treated and get a first hand idea of how his patients feel about him. Just a thought. Good luck and I hope your little one has a recovery and uneventful recovery.

Stacy55 · 02-07-2012, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mom to Hot Rod

So sorry for your little one. I am not familiar with the particular risks, if any, concerning ACL surgery. I just wanted to say in general, surgeries have their risks in themselves. As for a qualified surgeon, I would research and make sure that the surgeon is board certified and is familiar with small breed animals.

My boy had lp surgery and we were very lucky in that we have a wonderful facility close to use. The surgeons are board certified and our surgeon has a rescue yorkie himself.

You can always seek a second opinion and I would definitely do so. Is this vet a surgeon? or his recommending you see a specialist? Since you do not have a long history with him, maybe you could ask them for any names that they could give you of patients that he has treated and get a first hand idea of how his patients feel about him. Just a thought. Good luck and I hope your little one has a recovery and uneventful recovery.

Thank you so much for your input. He gave me options of leaving my dog with them where he would perform the fishing line surgery or send me to the orthopedic vet. But he sort of disregarded that 2nd option and really pushed the 1st. I'm not sure if he's board certified (I'm guessing not because he would have mentioned it if he was- but I can find out tomorrow) and he said he has performed the surgery on dogs ranging from yorkie's to rottweiler's (including his own dog).

ladyjane · 02-08-2012, 06:05 AM

I would advise strongly that you go to a board certified orthopedic surgeon. I have met many people at the vet specialists who ended up there after the surgery their regular vet did failed.

Here is an article that was written by the specialist I use for all of my orthopedic cases. It explains the different repairs for a tear....it is important that you see a specialist who can do ANY of those repairs and I can promise you that your vet does not. You need a specialist who can determine which repair is best for your pup.

Yorkie Haven Links

Another link cruciate ligament tears:

Ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in Dogs

To find a board certified surgeon in your area:

American College of Veterinary Surgeons

ladyjane · 02-08-2012, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stacy55

Thank you so much for your input. He gave me options of leaving my dog with them where he would perform the fishing line surgery or send me to the orthopedic vet. But he sort of disregarded that 2nd option and really pushed the 1st. I'm not sure if he's board certified (I'm guessing not because he would have mentioned it if he was- but I can find out tomorrow) and he said he has performed the surgery on dogs ranging from yorkie's to rottweiler's (including his own dog).

That concerns me greatly. I am sure he is cheaper, but cheaper is not always better and the bottom line is that he is making money on it. I am not saying he is a money grubber, but to disregard a specialist is a concern in my way of thinking.

katy-yorkie · 02-08-2012, 10:42 AM

Buster went in for LP surgery last April, he had a torn ACL as well. Find a board certified surgeon. DO NOT let the vet TRY to fix it. The surgeon did not repair Buster's torn ACL with the fishing line technique. Buster needed a plate and five pins (they have since been removed). If not for the surgeon, I shudder to think of what condition Buster would be in today. Buster had four surgeries on his knees last year. He recently went back for a follow up with the surgeon. A week before, he was in for a routine visit with the vet. The vet wanted to see him walk, he palpitated the knee that had the most recent operation and then determined his knee was not repaired, that the surgery was not a success. He then said, "only an x-ray will tell". When I told him the surgeon would do an x-ray the following week, he completely changed his tune. He picked Buster up, palpitated his knee a bit and told me the knee felt great, everything was fine. The next week at the visit with the surgeon, we were shown the latest x-ray's which determined Buster's knee was just fine, still healing but just fine. I mentioned to the surgeon what the vet had said. The surgeon said about 50% of his business was re-do's. The surgeon also mentioned that the vet should not be palpitating Buster's knees at this time. The surgeon was expensive but I can be certain that Buster got the best care I could get for him. If in the future Maggie needs surgery, she will also go to a Board Certified Surgeon. I don't know why vets are so eager to do the torn ACL/LP surgery themselves.

107barney · 02-08-2012, 10:50 AM

I concur that you need a ACVS.org certified surgeon to assess and to operate. My almost 12 year old just had the surgery and the surgeon fixed the torn ACL and also fixed the LP. I wouldn't let a general vet do this surgery on my dog. My dog had an extracapsular repair ("fishing line") but our surgeon does all the other options so I felt good knowing that if another procedure was better suited I'd have had the option.

Lucy Lu · 02-21-2012, 05:38 PM

My eight year old yorkie had what is called a tight rope procedure done on her left hind leg a year ago. She had a torn CCL and meniscus. I took her to an orthapedic specialist as this is a fairly complicated procedure. She has had good results with regaining use of the limb. I would not have had anything else done at the time (dental cleaning, immunizations, etc) as this is quite a stress for them to endure in and of itself.

02-07-2012, 09:16 PM	#1
Stacy55 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 37	ACL surgery My yorkie has been limping since Friday night after jumping off a chair. I had quickly jumped to conclusions and thought it was because he had a history with luxating patella (that had not been treated with surgery yet). Took him to the vet today and the vet was able to tell that there was complete tearing of the ACL from simple physical examination of the leg. So he came up with a plan for me: updating vaccinations (although I strongly dislike the idea of injecting my baby with so many unnecessary shots- it's apparently required to enter the hospital), dental care, an all-around check-up because he's now 5.5 years old, and last but not least the ACL surgery. I was wondering if the ACL surgery has many risks? And how you can tell if the vet is qualified to perform this surgery (this is only my 2nd visit at this particular vet)? I really appreciate those who have read this. Thank you for your time. __________________ Stacy Baron

02-07-2012, 11:01 PM	#2
Mom to Hot Rod Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: MD Posts: 10,908	So sorry for your little one. I am not familiar with the particular risks, if any, concerning ACL surgery. I just wanted to say in general, surgeries have their risks in themselves. As for a qualified surgeon, I would research and make sure that the surgeon is board certified and is familiar with small breed animals. My boy had lp surgery and we were very lucky in that we have a wonderful facility close to use. The surgeons are board certified and our surgeon has a rescue yorkie himself. You can always seek a second opinion and I would definitely do so. Is this vet a surgeon? or his recommending you see a specialist? Since you do not have a long history with him, maybe you could ask them for any names that they could give you of patients that he has treated and get a first hand idea of how his patients feel about him. Just a thought. Good luck and I hope your little one has a recovery and uneventful recovery. __________________ www.kissecollar.com Soft Cone Collars for Post-surgery and much more! 10% (non-food) - Discount code YT10

02-08-2012, 06:05 AM	#4
ladyjane Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 27,490	I would advise strongly that you go to a board certified orthopedic surgeon. I have met many people at the vet specialists who ended up there after the surgery their regular vet did failed. Here is an article that was written by the specialist I use for all of my orthopedic cases. It explains the different repairs for a tear....it is important that you see a specialist who can do ANY of those repairs and I can promise you that your vet does not. You need a specialist who can determine which repair is best for your pup. Yorkie Haven Links Another link cruciate ligament tears: Ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in Dogs To find a board certified surgeon in your area: American College of Veterinary Surgeons __________________ CLOUD NINE BEDS--YORKIE HAVEN RESCUE MY ETSY SHOP

02-08-2012, 10:42 AM	#6
katy-yorkie Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Katy, Texas USA Posts: 1,458	Buster went in for LP surgery last April, he had a torn ACL as well. Find a board certified surgeon. DO NOT let the vet TRY to fix it. The surgeon did not repair Buster's torn ACL with the fishing line technique. Buster needed a plate and five pins (they have since been removed). If not for the surgeon, I shudder to think of what condition Buster would be in today. Buster had four surgeries on his knees last year. He recently went back for a follow up with the surgeon. A week before, he was in for a routine visit with the vet. The vet wanted to see him walk, he palpitated the knee that had the most recent operation and then determined his knee was not repaired, that the surgery was not a success. He then said, "only an x-ray will tell". When I told him the surgeon would do an x-ray the following week, he completely changed his tune. He picked Buster up, palpitated his knee a bit and told me the knee felt great, everything was fine. The next week at the visit with the surgeon, we were shown the latest x-ray's which determined Buster's knee was just fine, still healing but just fine. I mentioned to the surgeon what the vet had said. The surgeon said about 50% of his business was re-do's. The surgeon also mentioned that the vet should not be palpitating Buster's knees at this time. The surgeon was expensive but I can be certain that Buster got the best care I could get for him. If in the future Maggie needs surgery, she will also go to a Board Certified Surgeon. I don't know why vets are so eager to do the torn ACL/LP surgery themselves. __________________ Jeanie, mom to Buster and Maggie

02-08-2012, 10:50 AM	#7
107barney T. Bumpkins & Co. Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New England Posts: 9,816	I concur that you need a ACVS.org certified surgeon to assess and to operate. My almost 12 year old just had the surgery and the surgeon fixed the torn ACL and also fixed the LP. I wouldn't let a general vet do this surgery on my dog. My dog had an extracapsular repair ("fishing line") but our surgeon does all the other options so I felt good knowing that if another procedure was better suited I'd have had the option. __________________ T. Bumpkins & Co. Washable Doggie Pee Pads (Save 10% Enter YTSAVE10 at checkout) Cathy, Teddy, Winston and Baby Clyde...RIP angels Barney and Daisy Last edited by 107barney; 02-08-2012 at 10:53 AM.

02-21-2012, 05:38 PM	#8
Lucy Lu Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 102	Surgery My eight year old yorkie had what is called a tight rope procedure done on her left hind leg a year ago. She had a torn CCL and meniscus. I took her to an orthapedic specialist as this is a fairly complicated procedure. She has had good results with regaining use of the limb. I would not have had anything else done at the time (dental cleaning, immunizations, etc) as this is quite a stress for them to endure in and of itself.