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. 1996 Nov;37(11):672–678.

Evaluation of postoperative complications following elective surgeries of dogs and cats at private practices using computer records.

F L Pollari 1, B N Bonnett 1
PMCID: PMC1576507  PMID: 8939333

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the frequency of postoperative complications following elective surgeries (castration, ovariohysterectomy, onychectomy) of dogs and cats from private practices and to evaluate the use of electronic medical records for this type of research. All elective surgeries performed during the study period at 5 private practices were included. The surgical techniques and materials used for each procedure were similar across practices, but the interpretation of "complication," the amount of detail recorded on the primary medical record, and the intensity of follow-up varied. The frequencies and types of complications varied by species and procedure. The postoperative complication frequencies ranged from 1% to 24% for all complications and 1% to 4% for severe complications. The results of this study describe populations of elective-surgery patients at private practices, provide data for educating clients about the risks associated with these procedures, and demonstrate how computerized records can be used to collect practice-specific medical information.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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