Visceral Technique for Dissection of Cat

What’s the first area we open up?

abdominopelvic cavity

Where do you make the first incision?

along the linea alba

What other two incisions are made?

transversus incisions at the hips and below the ribs

What tool do you use to cut? how and why?

use scissors, pick up the muscle and snip for the cut. Doing this to avoid cutting into the digestive system.

The inner aspect (under the skin/muscle) is shiny. why?

its the parietal peritoneum.

What’s the next cut?

cutting across the two peritonea where they connect

What are we removing?

the greater omentum (4-layered peritoneum)

Where’s the next cut after removing the greater omentum?

using scissors, gently open up the parietal peritoneum that is behind the digestive organs (described as “saran wrap” b/c of appearance). This will reveal lumbo muscles

What big blue vessel is behind the parietal peritoneum that was opened up?

inferior vena cava, or postcava

What is another vein going into the kidney? what about the artery?

renal vein/artery

Next is opening up the chest. What must be done?

remove muscles by gently cutting with scalpel, then use bone clippers to clip the ribs one by one

Why don’t we cut the ribs all the way down?

we want to keep the diaphragm in place.

What’s the next cut after the bone clipping?

cutting the intercostal muscles with scissors (might have to cut sternum transversely with bone cutters)

Are there blood vessels on the sternum?

Yes, but they can’t be salvaged. they’re the sternal artery/vein, they branch to internal mammaries.

What’s removed next?

the thymus with scissors (close-open technique instead of snipping)

What vein is revealed after the thymus is cut out?

superior vena cava

Once the chest is cut away completely, the throat is revealed. What is the pink vessel next to the trachea? The blue vessel?

common carotid artery (pink), external jugular (blue)