Availability Bias Affects Surgeon Choice of Treatment for Feline Cranial Cruciate Rupture: An Internet Survey

Introduction: Availability bias is a cognitive bias where individuals rely on information that is most readily available or recent in memory when making decisions, which can influence doctors to favour treatments or diagnoses they have encountered frequently or recently. The aims of this study were to determine if there is a consensus for feline CCL rupture treatment amongst surgeons, and to assess the impact availability bias has on treatment choices. We hypothesized that availability bias would impact treatment choice.

Materials and Methods: An internet survey was distributed targeting Diplomates of the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Surgery. Respondents selected a random number between one and nine and were then asked three questions regarding feline CCL treatment including if they would treat surgically or medically, and what procedure specifically. Some groups were primed to stimulate availability bias.

Results: One hundred sixty-one surveys were assessed. Without priming, 76% said they would treat their own cat surgically, versus 51% after priming (p = 0.006). Among respondents selecting surgery, no statistically significant differences in the types of surgery selected were observed. Qualitatively, TPLO was the most common selection for the unprimed group, 57%.

Discussion/Conclusion: Our findings indicate the presence of availability bias. Although a clear consensus on the optimal treatment approach for feline CCL ruptures was not established, TPLO emerged as the predominant surgical choice among respondents who were unprimed. This preference could stem from the documented success of TPLO in canine patients, with the veterinary literature highlighting its association with low long-term morbidity and a high rate of return to pre-CCL function.

Acknowledgment

None.

Publication History

Article published online:
15 July 2025