How do veterinary surgeons operate on turtles and tortoises? Where do they make the incisions?

Question

How do veterinary surgeons operate on turtles and tortoises? Where do they make the incisions?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Endoscopic guided surgeries have advanced how well we can do surgery with turtles and tortoises. So we can gain access to some of the internal organs by making small incisions in (usually) high up on the thigh of the chelion.
For those that don’t have endoscopes that require access – the hard plates are essentially bone. Crack a piece open in the quadrant you need to work in and get to it. Then close with some wire and special epoxy.