Implants for Hart Pinna Haematoma System

Surgical management of aural haematomas is a common procedure in veterinary practice. Once drained the haematoma must be prevented from filling up again. In addition the layers of skin and cartilage must be supported during the healing phase to prevent the development of a cosmetically unacceptable crumpled ear flap. Fenestrated sterile plastic implants slot in to Clamp Forceps designed by Nick Hart, a veterinary practitioner, which makes the procedure straight forward. Once the haematoma has been removed from the ear the implants are inserted into the forceps which are then applied to either side of the pinna. The amount of pressure is controlled using a thumb screw on the forceps. Too much pressure will cause necrosis, too little will allow re-filling. The suture needle and material of choice is passed through the holes in the pad and tied off in the usual way. The holes are unevenly sized to ease the passage of the needle which enters through the smaller hole and exits the larger hole on the ‘blind side’. The implants need to be loaded into the forceps accordingly. The Forceps are then removed leaving the pair of pads stitched in place. The process is repeated as necessary.