430 



VBTERtNARV SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



3- 

 4- 



5- 

 6. 



7- 



Artery f.orceps. 



Small curved needle and silk suture. 

 Razor. 

 Antiseptics. 

 , Collodion. 

 TECHNIQUE.— First Step. — Preparation.— The ear is 

 shaved within and without about one-half inch from each 

 edge of the breach and then submitted to a thorough scrub- 

 bing with antiseptics. 



Second Step.— Preparing the Edges.— The cicatricial 

 tissue along the edges is trimmed off with the scissors or 

 scalpel, thus exposing the two layers of skin and the cartilage 

 between them. The cartilage along each edge is then ex- 

 cavated from between the two layers of skin to the depth of 



b 



T 



3} ^fei 



J 



c A 

 B 



Fig. 220— Schematic Diagrams of the Author's Operation for Slit Ears. 

 A— a, a, Scar Tissue. b, b, b, b, Skin, c, c, Cartilage. 

 B — The Edges Denuded of the Scar Tissue. 

 C— The Cartilage Excavated beyond the Edges of the Skin. 

 D— The Skin Flap Sutured. 



about three-sixteenths of an inch from the skin margin, thus 

 leaving two skin flaps on each side which can be united to 

 each other separately. 



Third Step. — Haemostasis.— The subcutem of the concha 

 contains several large veins that may be divided in the course 

 of the above dissection, the bleeding from which must be 

 arrested before proceeding with the next step. Otherwise 

 the space intervening between the two sutured flaps will 

 fill up with a harmful clot, and the flow of blood through the 

 sutured edges will delay the application of the adhesive dress- 

 ing. The bleeding is met by searching for the vessels and 

 then twisting them with hsemostats. The capillary oozing, 

 which sometimes persists stubbornly, is allowed to stop 

 spontaneously before the suturing is attempted. 



