Fear Free Anesthesia & Surgery: From Intake to Discharge

Course overview

Anesthesia and surgery are often the most stressful parts of the job for any veterinary professional. As people who are involved in anesthesia and surgery on a daily basis, we often forget that our patients and their owners do not have the same level of understanding and perspective and that can make the experience even scarier. As veterinary staff, we also sometimes get into such a pattern with our process that we stop looking for ways to improve and may miss opportunities to do better for our patients, clients, and to elevate to work we do. For all our veterinary patients, care is a continuous process and that process begins and ends at home. This is most true when considering patients presenting for anesthesia and surgery. This lecture will cover consideration for improved patient care beginning with potential need for pre-visit pharmaceuticals (PVPs) through to techniques and considerations for less stressful drop-offs and important client communication. We will also discuss techniques, tips, and tricks to maximise sedation, decrease stress levels, and minimize adverse outcomes during the premedication and induction periods. Intra-operative techniques will be discussed to ensure that patients reach recovery as comfortably as possible. Lastly, we will discuss indepth ways to make recovery a smoother, safer, calmer experience for both patients and staff.