Comments on: Extracapsular Repair vs. Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy

By: kara

kara — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:41:28 +0000

my white german shepherd is at the vets now for the day for xrays to confirm this. he is 7 yrs old. my husband doesnt want to have the extracapsular surgery but i dont want him in pain. do we have to decide now, a couple of weeks, months or what. is surgery my best option? i am worried also about him going under! what should we do , he is my little baby the first dog i have ever owned myself. also, his black and tan german shepherd (sister) is pacing wondering where he is. they play in the house and outside constantly. how am i going to keep him stable when his sister is hyper? pls help. need some reassurance. maybe i should take him to the university of guelph animal hospital is it is known to be one of the best in canada and is just around the corner?

By: Rachelle Hauzer

Rachelle Hauzer — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:20:29 +0000

Hi Nancy,

I was wondering if you have the surgery yet? I am also looking at the same thing for my baby who is a Border Collie / Pit mix 54 pounds. We are thinking about the Extracapsular surgery, but just not sure… Please let me know…

Thanks!!!

By: Nancy

Nancy — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 04:13:22 +0000

Both the TPLO and the TTA require them to cut some portion of the tibia and use surgical implants to keep the bones in place. This changes the angle of the knee and thus replaces the need for the CCL. In my opinion, the TTA, if you have someone who can do it, is the lesser of the two evils – that is, if you choose not to do the extracapsular method. TTA requires less bone to be cut and less recovery time than the TPLO. We just recently had the TPLO done on our 72 lb Alaskan Malamute day before yesterday. I would have chosen the TTA surgery if there was a surgeon in my area that does it. Unfortunately, we would have had to drive 3 hours to Seattle and I worried that if there were complications after the fact, we wouldn’t have anyone to go to. I’m feeling some regret about choosing the TPLO method, however; she’s already putting the leg down and limping on it. My girl is also a pretty mellow dog for a malamute and we were doing conservative management for approximately 6 months prior to this, so we’re used to the routine.

Raven will be 5 years old this month and has been having problems with this knee for a while – they suspected it was a partial tear, but she recently injured it to the point of a complete tear. Whatever you decided, I hope it worked out for you.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 16:44:08 +0000

Our Zia is 8 years old Belgium Shepherd – she weighs in a 80 lbs, although we do now have her a diet… we have been advised by our vet that she has a Cruciate Ligament rupture.. it’s heartbreaking to see her walk on three legs, but our major concern is how to get her help.. Our vet has not recommended a specific surgical procedure, but has advised us of what options are available. there are 3 to choose from: Extracapsular Repair, TPLO and TTA… How does one decide which is best for our furry family member? We want to choose the least tramatic and faster recovery.. any ideas?

By: John

John — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 21:47:44 +0000

I would never allow a veterinarian to perform TPLO on any dog with a torn cruciate ligament weighting under 60 pounds. I understand there are occasions when TPLO is a necessary choice, especially with larger dogs, but my research suggests it’s rare.

As for my experience, I have a wonderful 11 year old male, 55 pound, pit pull terrier named Clyde. Clyde had torn both back-leg cruciate ligaments 2 years apart form each other.

He was 7 years old when he tore the fist one. He went completely lame. Our surgeon recommended extracapsular repair which we went with. Clyde rebounded from the surgery beautifully walked out of the office and was running again in approximately 4 to 6 weeks.

The surgeon who cared for Clyde 2 years later when he tore the other knee tried to talk us into the much more expensive – and in my opinion – brutal TPLO method.
Clyde was now 9 years old and I thought – considering his age and good response to the extracapsular or (suture) repair – that the TPLO was not a good choice for us.
I insisted that he do the extracapsular surgery – which he did. The surgeon seemed to have much less enthusiasm once I informed him I wouldn’t consider TPLO for my boy.

After the surgery Clyde responded well. However, not as well as he did the first time.
It seems the second surgery leg is a bit more tender on humid days or when he’s run a bit to much. Overall he is doing very well though!.

Clyde is now 11 and is doing fine. Although he has slowed down a bit which is normal given his age.

If your doggy is under 60 pounds and has a torn cruciate ligament requiring surgery.
I recommend the more reasonable and comparatively elegant extracapsular surgery.
Don’t let some brute surgeon saw your dogs leg in two and screw it back together.

All the best and good luck,

John

By: Sheri

Sheri — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 01:53:22 +0000

I’m going through the same situation with my pit bull. Please let me know how things went.

By: Liz

Liz — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 21:52:02 +0000

TPLOs are very hard on older dogs, say, older than 7 yrs. old. I’ve seen plenty of them, as I am the one who ends up trying to “rehab” them. Liz, Cert. Canine Rehab Therapist

By: Zoey

Zoey — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:51:39 +0000

Hey, My vet told me that both the TPLO and the ECR should last almost forever. He would be more concerned with having to do the other knee within a year or two.

By: Richard Citrin

Richard Citrin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:12:13 +0000

We are considering this surgery vs the TPLO. Our vet says the ECR may only last a short period of time. How is it working for your westie?

Thanks

By: Gus

Gus — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:31:48 +0000

Not sure how old this is. Can you tell me how it went? I have a similar situation with my 35 lb cockapoo.

By: mary hines

mary hines — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 01:35:43 +0000

I have been strugling to find the best way to go for my 10 year old, 17 pound westie, who has a torn CCL. She’s scheduled for TPLO method in two weeks, but I’m worried because she’s not a brave dog, just one who likes to cuddle. This could be worse than walking around on three legs.

By: Operation Tucker, Tucker's Extracapsular Repair Surgery, Traditional CCL Repair and TPLO

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 02:17:12 +0000

[...] sharp on February 13th, 2008 to let the vet work his magic. (To read about the procedure we chose click here – or read the post “Extracapsular Repair vs. Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy“)I [...]