CARDIAC SURGERY AND INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY: ENNEMIES OR ALLIES?

摘要

Cardiology is a well established specialty in veterinary medicine. It is officially recognized by the European and American colleges of Veterinary Medicine. A dedicated educational program ensures rigorous training of Veterinary cardiologists. On thecontrary, Veterinary Cardiac Surgery is not an established sub-speciality of veterinary surgery. No dedicated training program exists. Veterinary surgery, according to European or American Veterinary Surgery Colleges is roughly divided into general surgery and orthopaedic surgery, or soft tissue and hard tissue surgery. Veterinary cardiac surgeons do not officially exist. In veterinary cardiology, the number and variety of treatments options for cardiac diseases have grown tremendously in the last decade as veterinary cardiologists have collaboratively been able to transfer human medical breakthrough to applications for pets, opening up access to cutting edge treatments to all veterinary practitioners. On the contrary, veterinary cardiac surgery has been confined to referral university hospitals or research centres. Veterinary facilities that are able to offer cardiac surgery services remain scarce worldwide. And when evaluating surgical treatment options for cardiac disease in pets, the alternativesare seldom being limited to extra cardiac conditions such as pericardial diseases, treatment of patent ductus arteriosus or extra-cardiac tumor resection. But when it comes to intra-cardiac diseases such as valvular diseases, there are very few options.