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Veterinary hospital first to trial new ankle surgery
Small animal specialist Neil Burton with Vinny and his owner, Ben Reyer.

Three-year-old Vinny reported to be recovering well

A referral centre and veterinary hospital in Stockton-on-Tees has become the first in the UK to trial a revolutionary new ankle procedure.

Wear Referrals, which forms part of the Linneaus Group, carried out the inaugural operation on Vinny, a three-year-old chocolate Labrador. It is one of three clinics in the UK selected by American firm BioMedtrix for a clinical trial of their new ankle replacement system.

Vinny is now on cage rest and is said to be recovering well after his treatment.

Neil Burton, a recognised specialist in small animal surgery and head of orthopaedic surgery at Wear Referrals, said: “This was the first case of a BioMedtrix ankle replacement in the UK and we are delighted on two fronts.

“First of all, the operation went very well and Vinny is doing excellently at the two-month post-operative stage. He’s off all medication, is walking well, there are no issues with the implants and the bone is healing uneventfully.

“We are also thrilled to be able to fly the flag as the first veterinary specialists in the country to undertake this surgical procedure.”

During the three-hour operation, Dr Burton was assisted by Wear’s senior orthopaedic surgeon Maciej Krukowski. The pair used the specialist prototype instrumentation to remove the damaged cartilage and bone in the joint, which was then replaced with the implant.

Vinny’s owner Ben Reyer admitted it was a “leap of faith” to embrace the pioneering surgery but said: “Neil was very open and honest that this was the first operation of its type in the UK.

“He talked us through the whole procedure, what the outcome would likely be and, after talking it through, we felt pretty confident in him and the BioMedtrix system, so we were happy to go for it."

He added: “The operation went as planned and Vinny’s doing well. He’s had his post-op check and everything is progressing as expected. It’s a very careful recovery process, though. We’re not taking any chances and we are doing everything absolutely to the letter."

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.