Equine and other large animal patients that undergo anesthesia for surgery at the University of Georgia (UGA) College of Veterinary Medicine will benefit from new, state-of-the-art anesthesia equipment, as the Veterinary Teaching Hospital has begun using a unique machine for delivery of anesthesia to their large animal patients.

UGA hospital recently became the first veterinary facility in the United States to purchase the Tafonius large animal anesthesia machine, with an integral piston-driven ventilator. The Tafonius machine is fully-programmable to provide more accurate ventilation of horses and other large animals that are undergoing anesthesia, allowing more accurately regulated volume and reliability of airflow that reduces the risk for common problems like hypoventilation and hypoxemia. The Tafonius is outfitted with cardiopulmonary and anesthetic agent monitoring equipment and computer software that enables the anesthetist to have immediate access to monitored data and thereby optimize the anesthetic episode for the patient.

Similar methods of delivering anesthesia are already in use in human anesthesia and intensive care, as well as small animal intensive care medicine.

There is no additional cost to clients for use of this machine during anesthesia. The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine is excited to offer this new technology to its patients