Orthopedic complication can be classified by its severity; however, identifying its cause(s) can be difficult and has not been studied systemically in veterinary medicine. Common cause of orthopedic complication may include misdiagnosis, poor choice of surgical option, violation of surgical principles, technical error, and failure to recognize post-operative problems. In addition to surgical safety checklist, new systems are available today to reduce orthopedic complication (e.g., pre-surgical planning tools, intra-operative fluoloscopy, and implants suited for intra- and post-operative revision). Some studies suggest the surgeon to be a significant factor for increased complication rate. In this lecture, future directions to reduce surgical complications will be discussed.
