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by Dr Darren Taylor, Invermay Vet Clinic, TAS
This drill is lithium-ion battery powered and can be used in a variety of ways. The head can be taken off so it can be used as a drill, to put in screws, or as a saw.
What’s good about it
It’s small and light but powerful. The multifunctional aspect is convenient and easy to change. I use it as an oscillating saw for CCL ruptures when doing a TTA. The primary use I get from the instrument is drilling holes for screw placement when using a plate to repair a fracture or for TPLO surgery. It can also drive the screws into place and position stainless steel metal pins when repairing fractures.
This drill was substantially cheaper than most other brands on the market. There’s a danger that buying cheap may mean a lesser quality product but this has not been the case. I have a veterinary colleague who has been using this drill for the past six years and he’s had no issues. I purchased it after receiving his recommendation.
It comes with two batteries so one can be charging while you’re using the other. If one should die during surgery, I can replace it while keeping everything sterile. So far, one battery has more than enough power to get through each operation.
I’m keen on orthopaedics so I use this drill fairly regularly—around once every fortnight. It’s useful when performing CCL surgery which is the most common orthopaedic condition we see in dogs.
This drill is a fairly new piece of equipment in our practice but so far, it’s done exactly what it’s meant to do.
What’s not so good
I haven’t had any issues with it yet but I suspect it may not be powerful enough to drive in really big pins.
