December 21, 2011 Oncology

Vacuum-Assisted Positioning Device: Another Cool AMC Tool

Vacuum-Assisted Positioning Device: Another Cool AMC Tool

The Animal Medical Center has all kinds of cool equipment to help make treating diseases in dogs and cats faster, safer and more successful. Today’s blog is about one of those devices, the vacuum assisted positioning device used by our radiation oncologist.
The video below shows a feline patient under anesthesia and being positioned by Dr. John Farrelly, AMC’s radiation oncologist, in the vacuum-assisted positioning device.
When you watch the video you will:
Hear
The clicking on/off of the vacuum pump and the beeping monitors for the devices monitoring heart rate and respirations.
See
A cat under general anesthesia with a visible tumor, laying on his back on the vacuum-assisted positioning device pillow.
Not See
The anesthesia machine attached to the cat’s breathing tube and a Veterinary Technician monitoring anesthesia. There is also a console outside the CT scan room where the machine controls are housed.

What is a vacuum-assisted positioning device?
The large white “pillow” the cat is laying on is filled with little pellets, similar to a bean bag. The pillow attaches to a vacuum device that extracts the air from the pillow causing the pillow to mold around the anesthetized cat. The device retains the shape of the cat after the vacuum lines are locked in place.
Why do we use vacuum-assisted positioning devices?
This device ensures exact placement of the patient for each radiation therapy treatment and allows very precise delivery of the radiation treatment.
All of us at The AMC hope your pet never needs radiation therapy for a tumor, but if he does, the vacuum assisted positioning device will help us (and other vets) deliver the best possible treatment available.
________________________________________________________
This may also be found in the “Tales from the Pet Clinic” blog on WebMD.com.
For over a century, The Animal Medical Center has been a national leader in animal health care, known for its expertise, innovation and success in providing routine, specialty and emergency medical care for companion animals. Thanks in part to the enduring generosity of donors, The AMC is also known for its outstanding teaching, research and compassionate community funds. Please help us to continue these efforts. Send your contribution to: The Animal Medical Center, 510 East 62nd Street, New York, NY 10065. For more information, visit www.amcny.org. To make an appointment, please call 212.838.7053.

Tags: animal medical center, ann hohenhaus, cancer, cat, CT scan, dogs, john farrelly, pet health, pets, Radiation Oncology, vaccuum assisted positioning device, veterinarian,

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