Chapter 5: Table of Contents
Abdominal Surgery
Abdominal surgery is typically performed through a ventral midline incision along the linea alba in dogs and cats. In male dogs, the midline incision is deviated into a parapreputial skin incision along the caudal abdomen, but the abdominal wall incision itself is made along the linea alba throughout its entire length.
Clip and prepare the skin from one inch cranial to the xiphoid to the level of the pubis to allow a long enough incision to be made, or for the incision to be extended in case of emergency. Make sure to clip and flush the prepuce (aqueous chlorhexidine is used at OVC), even if you plan on draping it out of your surgical field. The prepuce is typically moved to the side opposite your planned incision (typically moved to the left side for a right handed surgeon and to the right for a left handed surgeon) and held in position with a sterile towel clamp. Do not contaminate your sterile gloves (or your gown) while applying this and other clamp. The abdominal incision location and length is determined by the procedure being performed and surgeon experience.