Pet Orthopedic Consult & Surgery

At Heartland Animal Hospital, we understand the deep bond you share with your pet, and we are dedicated to providing top-notch orthopedic consultation and surgical services tailored to their unique needs. Our hospital offers a comfortable, nurturing environment where your pet’s well-being takes center stage.

a dog lying on a bed with a bandaged paw
a dog lying in grass

Your Furry Friend Deserves the Best

Our team of compassionate and skilled veterinarians is dedicated to your pet’s comfort and has invested countless hours in continuing education and specialized training. We are proud to be at the forefront of orthopedic surgery, ensuring your pet receives the best care Faribault offers.

Our expertise covers various orthopedic procedures, from fracture repair to patellar luxation correction. No matter the issue your pet faces, you can trust that our experienced team will provide a solution to enhance your pet’s quality of life.

To guarantee that your pet receives the highest level of care, we’ve partnered with specialized outside orthopedic surgeons who regularly visit our clinic. We are honored to have Dr. Dane Tatarniuk, a renowned orthopedic surgeon, as a vital part of our team. His expertise in procedures like TTA or TPLO knee surgeries further ensures your pet’s orthopedic health is in the best hands.

TPLO/ TTA Knee Surgery for Your Dog

TTA and TPLO are revolutionary new surgeries to repair a torn dog ACL. The surgery is done just below the knee on the middle side, where there are fewer muscles and nerve endings, resulting in a faster return to the use of the leg.

Due to the bent-leg stature of most dogs, the ACL is under nearly constant strain. When it tears, the physical force of stepping on the leg causes a grinding motion as the femur slips down the tibial slope. Innovative veterinarians came up with the idea to flatten the hill to a near perpendicular angle and eliminate the slipping successfully. Although the surgery does involve cutting and moving a piece of bone, the return to function is more rapid, and fewer long-term complications are seen than any of the extra-capsular techniques in dogs over 60 pounds, including the “Tightrope” repair.

TPLO stands for Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy.  It was developed by Dr. Barclay Slocum in the early 1990’s in Oregon.  TPLO works by making a semi-circular cut in the tiba and rotating the piece backwards by a  pre-determined amount so the tibial slope is perpendicular to the patellar tendon.  The majority of dogs have a slope of 19- 23?. Goal of TPLO surgery is to reduce the slope to 5-15? degrees. Most dogs are weight bearing within a few days of discharge and are using the leg nearly normally within 8-10 weeks. See more information at: slocumenterprises.comstands for Tibial Tuberosity Advancement. TTA was developed in Switzerland by Dr. Slobodan Tepic in the late 1990s and has only been introduced here in the US for the last 4-5 years. TTA uses the same concept of leveling the tibial plateau about the dynamic force transfer through the patellar tendon.

Instead of rotating the bone to flatten the plateau like TPLO, a cut is made on the non-weight-bearing front part of the tibia, and the patellar tendon is advanced and plated as a wedge at a new perpendicular angle. Because the cut is made on the non-weight-bearing surface of the bone, recovery to walking and full use is 2-3 weeks faster than TPLO. Not every dog is a candidate for TTA, but it is the most common surgery we do for ACL repair in dogs over 60 pounds.

TPLO works by making a semi-circular cut in the tibia and rotating the piece backward by a pre-determined amount. Hence, the tibial slope is perpendicular to the patellar tendon. The majority of dogs have a pitch of 19- 23. TPLO surgery aims to reduce the incline to 5-15. Degrees. Most dogs are weight-bearing within a few days of discharge and use the leg nearly generally within 8-10 weeks. See more information at: slocumenterprises.com

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TPLO Related FAQs

How long will it take for my dog to be back to normal?
That depends on the dogs age, length of injury, any pre-existing arthritis or other orthopedic issues, and type of activity your dog enjoys. 95% of dogs are back to normal in 3 months. The first 6-8 weeks they are on NO running, NO jumping, NO stairs restrictions, but a walking program and early rehab can preserve and speed up the recovery of the muscle strength. Most dogs are walking 70-85% or better by 8 weeks. Dogs that have significant arthritis in thier knee or hip/spinal problems may have residual stiffness permanently and a less than optimum outcome, but they will always still do much better with surgery than they would have without.
What complications might I expect?
Our incidence of complications is below the reported levels for both the TTA and the TPLO. The most common difficulties are minor, like licking at the incision, fluid build-up under the incision, and swelling around the ankle several days out. Dogs are discharged on one week of antibiotics and pain medications. Reported complications include infection or draining tracts (sometimes a year or more later), cold sensitivity of the metal in cold weather, additional meniscal damage (even 1-2 years later), migration or loosening of screws, fluid build-up around the surgery site, failure of the bone plate, fractures of the tibia, and rarely osteosarcoma of the surgery site.
Which surgery is better, the TTA or TPLO?
We are certified to do both. TPLO can correct some of the torsion, steep tibial slopes, and patellar issues simultaneously as the cruciate repair. TTA provides a slightly quicker return to total walking and can also correct some of the luxating patella cases, so in most cases, we recommend the TTA as our first choice. Each issue is evaluated individually, and the recommendation is based on exams and radiographs. Currently, we are doing 49 TTAs to every TPLO.
How will I pay for surgery?
We accept Visa and all the major credit cards which is how most fund the surgery.  We have also begun offering Care Credit: a no or low interest payment plan available for pets.  See www.carecredit.com and get pre-approved.  Payment can also be by check or cash and is expected at the time of discharge.
What follow-up is required after surgery?
Dogs that have knee surgery generally need to stay over one night. The next day, they are started on oral medications and are discharged with strict instructions for restricted activity, icing, and monitoring of the incision. Staples are removed at two weeks post-op; an early leash-only rehab program can generally begin. 6 weeks post-op, an x-ray is required to assess bone healing, and more exercise is prescribed. A third exam and x-ray may be required 4 weeks after that for final discharge. Most dogs can have all the follow-ups done by their Veterinarian if needed. If you can travel, we have a recheck package that covers all the x-rays, rechecks, and rehab recommendations required to get to final healing.