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The goals of the immediate postoperative period are to: Recover the patient from anaesthesia; Prevent and manage postoperative complications; Provide ongoing treatment for pre-existing disease; Identify new problems rapidly and treat them appropriately; Support the patient's physiology effectively, promoting rapid recovery; Ensure patient welfare. To achieve these goals, close patient monitoring and regular assessment are required to alert the clinician to changing patient needs and permit timely intervention. The completion of a surgical procedure never constitutes the conclusion of a patient's veterinary care. The following are addressed: Repeated physical examination; Monitoring; Postoperative use of clinical pathology; Management of drains, tubes and catheters; Respiratory care; and Care of the recumbent patient.
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