Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)
Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) commonly known as Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)
Just like humans, animals are able to rupture their ACL that can only be fixed with surgery. During surgery a cut is made along the length of the front part of the tibia. Reattaching the ligament together with a strong durable suture that will prevent your pet ever to rupture that ligament again. After surgery your pet will be put into a cast that would need to be left on for 3 to 4 weeks. Once that time is up the cast and staples will be able to come off, but your pet will still have to limit their activity for another 2 to 3 weeks. We offer an option of laser therapy to help your pet with a faster healing process.
What you need to know about before; this procedure has to be diagnosed by a licensed veterinarian to determine which surgery your pet should under go. There are three main orthopedic procedures to repair an ACL tear: a lateral suture technique (that we offer), a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO)(we do not offer), and Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA) (we do not offer). If your pet would need the options that we do not offer we will help point you into the right direction. This surgery is commonly done on dogs, but cats are able to rupture their ACL too. If you have an exotic pet that may need an ACL repair we will have to schedule an appointment to have your pet feeling better.
Recovery: Typical recovery, as long as the animal isn’t too active during the healing process, is about 10-14 days.
Risks: Like any surgical procedure, there is associated risk with anesthesia and surgery itself, but the overall incidence of complications is very low. Before the procedure, your pet is given a thorough physical examination to ensure that she is in good health. General anesthesia is administered to perform the surgery and medications are given to minimize pain. You will be asked to keep your pet calm and quiet for a few days after surgery as the incision begins to heal.
