Penn Vet’s Total Hip Replacement Program helps heal dogs with hip dysplasia
Total hip replacement surgery outcomes at Penn Vet have been greatly improved through state-of-the-art technological advances and synergistic programming.
2 min. read
Stephanie and Michael Fullmer knew that Cora, their sweet-natured golden retriever, had severe hip dysplasia when they adopted her, and she would need care for the rest of her life. “We felt we were in a situation that we could give her that,” says Stephanie, who at the time was a veterinary nurse for a private practice.
Members of Penn Vet’s orthopedic team perform surgery in the Total Hip Replacement Program, including (second from the left) Anna Massie, assistant professor of small animal orthopedic surgery, Jason Syrcle, section chief and professor of clinical small animal orthopedic surgery, and Kimberly Agnello, professor of small animal orthopedic surgery.
(Image: Courtesy of Penn Vet)
But soon it became apparent that Cora’s dysplasia, even though she was only two years old, was far worse than they had thought. Today, Cora is a different dog. She plays, she swims, she goes bounding down trails. Best of all, she does it without pain.
Cora became a patient in Penn Vet’s Total Hip Replacement Program (THRP). She had surgery on her left hip, and a few months later on her right hip.
The life-changing impact on Cora was made possible by a type of surgery that isn’t new but whose outcomes have been greatly improved through state-of-the-art technological advances and synergistic programming.
During surgeries, the THRP team utilizes intraoperative fluoroscopy, a medical imaging technique that employs a mobile X-ray machine, known as a C-arm, to provide real-time, moving images during their procedures. This enables surgeons to visualize internal structures and guide instruments or implants, such as those used in total hip replacements, with greater precision. With that kind of precision comes a decreased risk of complications and a lower likelihood of future surgeries, according to Kimberly Agnello, professor of small animal orthopedic surgery, who leads the THRP with Jason Syrcle, section chief and professor of clinical small animal orthopedic surgery.
“If we can get it right the first time, we find those patients have the best prognosis for doing well,” says Agnello.
This story is by Rita Giordano. Read more at Penn Vet.
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