Pasantía en medicina interna y cirugía en tejidos blandos en especies de compañía en el Centro Veterinario Los Alpes, San José, Costa Rica

Abstract

Se realizó una pasantía en medicina interna y cirugía en tejidos blandos en especies de compañía durante ocho semanas, en el Centro Veterinario Los Alpes (CVLA), ubicado en Coronado en la provincia de San José. Durante los meses de febrero y marzo de 2023 se completaron 368 horas de trabajo, en las que se atendieron un total de 262 pacientes, de los cuales 246 eran caninos y 16 felinos. El número de caninos atendidos en primera consulta fue de 172 y 74 seguimientos, mientras que en el caso de los felinos 13 fueron primeras consultas y tres seguimientos. Durante el desarrollo de la pasantía se participó en la consulta médica integral, incluyendo la anamnesis, realización del examen objetivo general, pruebas complementarias sanguíneas y de imágenes, e interpretación de sus resultados conducentes al diagnóstico y tratamiento de cada caso, ya fuera de resolución médico o quirúrgico. Además, se participó en la medicación, valoración y cuidados especiales en el área de internamiento y recuperación postquirúrgica. En el CVLA la mayoría de las consultas correspondieron a medicina preventiva (n= 64, 35%), ortopedia (n= 25, 14%), alteraciones gastrointestinales (n=21, 11%) y sistema tegumentario (n= 16, 9%), mientras que dentro de los procedimientos quirúrgicos destacaron las intervenciones de ortopedia (n= 30, 37%), así como tejidos blandos (n=20, 24%) realizados mediante laparoscopía, principalmente ovariectomías y esplenectomías). A veterinary internship in internal medicine and soft tissue surgery in dogs and cats was developed during a period of eight weeks at Los Alpes Veterinary Center (CVLA), located in Coronado in the province of San José. During the months of February and March 2023, a total of 368 hours of work were completed, during which 262 patients were treated, including 246 dogs and 16 cats. The number of dogs seen during first consultations was 172, with an additional 74 patients seen under the follow-up appointments criteria, while for cats, 13 cases were related to initial consultations and 3 were follow-ups. During the internship, the student was able to actively participate in clinic consultations including objective general examination, medical history analysis, diagnostic test including taking samples and results interpretation for blood tests and diagnostic imaging, in order to reach a diagnosis and treatment for each case, both medical and surgical. Additionally, active participation occurred during medication, follow-up evaluations and special care required for patients during post-surgical recovery and those in the hospitalization area. At the CVLA, most consultations were related to preventive medicine (n=64, 35%), orthopedics (n= 25, 14%), gastrointestinal disorders (n= 21, 11%), and integumentary system (n= 16, 9%). In terms of surgical procedures, orthopedics (n=30, 37%) was the most prominent specialty. A total of 82 surgical procedures were performed, including referrals and patients that went through initial consultations at the clinic. Among them, 20 (24%) soft tissue surgical procedures were carried out using minimally invasive techniques with the assistance of laparoscopy, with a higher percentage of cases for laparoscopic ovariectomies and splenectomies.