GI surgery pearls: Tips and tricks from the ER to the OR

Bronwyn Fullagar BVSc(Hons), MS, DACVS-SA

1. Which radiographic view is MOST useful for identifying intraluminal gastric foreign material?

a) Right lateral

b) Left lateral

c) Ventrodorsal

d) Dorsoventral

e) Horizontal beam

2. Which of the following is CORRECT regarding the most common anchor points for canine and feline linear foreign bodies?

a) Canine: base of tongue; feline: pylorus

b) Canine: duodenum; feline: base of tongue

c) Canine: ileum; feline: duodenum

d) Canine: pylorus; feline: base of tongue

e) Canine: pylorus; feline: ileocaecocolic junction

3. Intestinal perforation due to linear foreign body obstruction usually occurs at which location?

a) Pylorus

b) Antimesenteric border of small intestine

c) Mesenteric border of small intestine

d) Caudal duodenal flexure

e) Ileocaecocolic junction

4. One day following a jejunal resection-anastomosis to treat a foreign body obstruction, your canine patient is nauseous, anorexic and regurgitating. You suspect this patient may have ILEUS. Which of the following is NOT an appropriate next step?

a) Place a nasogastric feeding tube to suction gastric residuals and enterally feed

b) Discontinue opioid analgesia and transition to NSAIDs

c) Administer erythromycin 0.5mg/kg IV q 8h

d) Rule out underlying causes of ileus such as septic peritonitis

e) Transition from fentanyl analgesia to methadone