How to become good at social media, interview with Dr. Minimal Invasive and vaginovulvectomies

This podcast episode featured Dr. Jolle interviewing Dr. Jody Lulich about their recent study published in JAVMA titled "Lorazepam Reduces Recurrence of Urethral Obstruction in Male Cats." Dr. Lulich, who is head of the Minnesota Urolith Center that analyzes approximately 100,000 stone submissions annually, discussed their groundbreaking prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study involving 80 cats. The study found that cats treated with lorazepam (a skeletal muscle relaxant) and a therapeutic urinary diet had zero re-obstructions compared to 14-15% recurrence rate in the placebo group, demonstrating the effectiveness of a multimodal approach including diet modification, pain medication, and environmental enrichment. Dr. Lulich explained that surgical removal of urinary stones actually leaves stones in about 20% of cases, making medical dissolution a more compassionate and effective treatment option. The discussion also covered the historical shift away from surgical intervention for struvite stones, the limitations of previous smooth muscle relaxant drugs like prazosin, and the significant cultural challenge of changing veterinary practices despite clear evidence supporting non-surgical approaches.

This Week's Episode: A Look Back — 1995 and the Skin Fold Advancement Flap

Dr Jolle is back with a short episode because he will be in NYC this week. He is discussing Chapter 10 of his new reconstruction book, focusing on complications in reconstructive surgery. He also looks at some news about veterinary surgery in the various general journals. More info about his book: https://www.routledge.com/Colour-Atlas-of-Reconstructive-Techniques-in-the-Dog-and-Cat/Kirpensteijn-Stanley-terHaar/p/book/9780367029999

This episode of the Vet Surgery Podcast hosted by Dr. Jolle Kirpensteijn is featuring Dr. Elizabeth Maxwell (Assistant Professor of Surgical Oncology, University of Florida) and Dr. Federico Vilaplana Grosso (Associate Professor in Diagnostic Imaging, University of Florida), who co-authored a recent JAVMA article. Topic: Differentiating 360° GDV from Simple Gastric Dilatation The discussion centered on the caudal esophageal "twist sign" — a funnel-shaped appearance in the lower esophagus that helps identify 360-degree gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), which is notoriously difficult to distinguish from regular gastric dilatation on radiographs. Key findings from the study: The research compared 29 dogs with 360° GDV to 38 dogs with simple gastric dilatation. The twist sign was present in all dogs with esophageal dilation, except when the esophagus had been decompressed by tube placement. Unlike typical 180° GDV cases (which show classic signs like abnormal pylorus positioning), 360° twists return the stomach to its normal anatomic position, making radiographic diagnosis much harder. Clinical perspectives: Dr. Maxwell noted that unsuccessful oral gastric tubing and endoscopy attempts were more common in 360° cases. Dr Vilaplana Grosso shared that the funnel sign was not part of his standard diagnostic approach before collaborating with Dr. Maxwell. The group discussed differing institutional practices on whether to image first or decompress first in emergency GDV situations.

In this episode of the Veterinary Surgery Podcast, Dr. Jolle Kirpensteijn sits down with repeat guest Dr. Sarah Boston, a veterinary cancer surgeon, for a wide-ranging conversation. They start with recent literature on staphylectomy techniques before turning to the contentious topic of continued French Bulldog breeding given the breed's well-documented health complications. Dr. Boston walks through her path into veterinary medicine, from deciding on the career at age six to finally landing a surgical residency on her third attempt. The discussion then moves into her own research contributions: a new diaphragmatic hernia repair technique she calls the "BostonPexy," which uses a kidney plug method, and a combined-approach mandibulectomy technique developed for large dogs. The episode closes with Dr. Boston naming the veterinary surgery papers that shaped her thinking most, citing Duncan Lascelles' work on maxillectomy approaches and Charles Koontz's research on vaccine-associated sarcomas.