Small Animal Laparoscopy and Thoracoscopy. Группа авторов

Preface

      Since the first edition of Small Animal Laparoscopy and Thoracoscopy was published in 2015, many developments have occurred that have propelled veterinary minimally invasive surgery forward. We stated in the preface to that first edition that the textbook was published at the “end of the beginning” of the inception of laparoscopy and thoracoscopy into small animal practice. It might be fair to state six years on, that we are now in the adolescence of the subspecialty. In this time, many new techniques have been developed, large numbers of research papers have been published, and the use of these techniques in both general and specialty practice has blossomed. However, there remains much work to be done to provide the necessary evidence base for these techniques to be widely accepted as the standard of care in our patient population. There is also significant work to be done to improve access to the necessary equipment and training to allow greater patient populations around the world to benefit from the many advantages minimally invasive surgical techniques have to offer our patients. As stated by our foreward author, Dr Todd Ponsky, an eminent pediatric surgeon, who has been extremely magnanimous with his time in support of veterinary minimally invasive surgery, one of the great challenges for our field is to start to engage with medical technology and device companies to create the veterinary species‐specific devices we need to drive the field forward. This challenge was significant for pediatric surgeons and may be one of the significant challenges of the next decade for veterinary minimally invasive surgery. We may also need to work toward a more comprehensive standardized training of all small animal surgery residents and other similar training programs. Thus, we could ensure that the next generations of surgeons are well positioned to continue the work without limitations brought on by lacking fundamental skills.

      As the editors of this second edition of the textbook, we have been very aware that the driving force behind the development of veterinary laparoscopy and thoracoscopy is always going to be the thought‐leaders in university teaching hospitals and private practices who relish the challenge of developing new procedures, improving those already in existence and objectively evaluating those currently being performed in practice. We therefore made a conscious effort with this second edition to harness the collective experience and passion of two very important groups. First, those young investigators in the field that represent the future of minimally invasive surgery in veterinary medicine and who are pushing forward the boundaries of what the field will offer patients and owners in the future. Second, we asked the many clinicians and practitioners in far flung corners of the world, who are practicing minimally invasive techniques to bring a truly global perspective to this book. Great breakthroughs in veterinary surgical care are happening in Chile and Japan, in the Netherlands and in Canada and in countless other parts of the globe. This book has contributions from veterinarians all over the world, many of whom are brought together by their common interest and their membership of the Veterinary Endoscopy Society, as well as other societies with an interest in the field. In many countries around the world, local societies dedicated to the improvement of veterinary minimally invasive surgery have now sprung up that will further fuel investigation in the future, and this represents an exciting time to be involved in this subspecialty. On a more personal note, the editors have been hugely gratified by the community that has arisen based on a shared passion to develop minimally invasive surgical interventions for our companion animal species. This has led to the development of many wonderful friendships and many fruitful collaborative relationships that make professional engagement in the field so much more enjoyable.

The chapters in the second edition of this book have been comprehensively updated. The early chapters describe the principals of skills acquisition, minimally invasive suturing, and the latest information on medical technologies and devices used in laparoscopy and thoracoscopy. Subsequent chapters describing anesthetic principals and surgical techniques have been updated with the latest data on the topic, results of recently published research, and lots of tips and tricks from the preeminent experts in the field from around the world. New chapters have also been added covering thoracoscopic anatomy and diagnostic thoracoscopy, laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair, the use of exoscopy in small animal surgery, and natural orifice translumenal surgery. Other chapters have been expanded to describe newly published techniques such as laparoscopic liver resection, retroperitoneal adrenalectomy, and intraoperative cholangiography and laparoscopic common bile duct exploration.

      We sincerely hope that veterinary students, interns, and residents in training, veterinary practitioners, and specialist clinicians will find this textbook equally useful, be it as an interesting introduction to the field for those at the start of their learning curves or, perhaps, as a trusted reference for those already incorporating minimally invasive surgery into their clinical practice. It was a great pleasure to assemble such an incredible group of skilled and passionate colleagues to collaborate on this project, and we look forward to seeing the field of minimally invasive surgery go from strength to strength throughout the world in future years.

      Boel A. Fransson, DVM, PhD, DACVS

      Professor of Small Animal SurgeryWashington State University, Pullman, WA, USA

      Philipp D. Mayhew BVM&S, MRCVS, DACVS

      Professor of Small Animal SurgeryUniversity of California‐Davis, Davis, CA, USA