Homestyle Surgery - WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES

Occasionally we have an injury around the house which can't wait until we can get to the big city and get it fixed by one of them there city specialist type doctors. In this case, I have to rely on my dusty old skills which were honed last century while caring for patients in the wilds of Detroit and other areas west of there.

Take this monkey, for instance. He sustained a separation of his posterior cervical midline suture line, resulting in a moderate dehiscence of his underlying integumentary tissue. In short, he burst a seam on the back of his neck and some of the stuffing came out. On a Friday night, this couldn't wait until the city slickers were back in their offices Monday morning.

Despite the seriousness of his injury, his spirits appear good; but to my trained eye the anxiety is all too apparent.


A cursory examination reveals a loss of integrity of his hide. This must be fixed right away!



After a thorough history, I examine the patient, listening to his heart and lungs. I realize he has cataracts, but I can't do anything about them today.


The airway of the monkey is thoroughly assessed, insuring that the monkey can breath while lying on his tummy:


After seeing to the patient, I quickly assemble the items needed for surgery. Most are in my black bag which was my constant companion as I trod the pavement of Northeast Detroit. Well, actually, it was another bag, but it held the same kind of stuff....



Hey! I find all those stethoscopes which I thought I had lost at the hospital years ago. They look like a mess of rattlesnakes all curled together for the wintertime:


I find the 'single drug' anesthetic which I love so much: the hammer. It comes in two doses - large or small - depending on which side of the hammer you strike on the patients head.



After administering the anesthetic, I roll the monkey prone - on his tummy - for the surgery:

Surgical instruments give me good exposure of the interior of the monkey. The wound is explored, verifying that deeper structures have not been injured or contaminated with dirt or small toy parts.


Another view, with a hemostat used to remove a small toy from inside the monkey:


Thick, strong thread is used to bring the edges of the wound together, and within minutes of completion of the operation, the monkey is awake and ready to go back to whatever he was doing before we noticed the stuffing coming out of his neck.

It is work such as this which makes me glad I became a doctor!