Has your vet told you why a second spay is necessary?
Presumably if she did it right the first time, the second spay would not
be necessary. I have crossposted this to alt.med.veterinary to see
what the vets have to say. (If Ethel might die, I might not even
have the second spay, depending on whether she will continue
to go into heat or not.)

When I had my biopsy where the ENT had to take a piece out from behind
my nose, I had to sign all kinds of things that said potential
complications included coma and death. Not things a nearly naked woman
attached to a saline IV wants to think deeply about. Any surgery
involving anesthesia carries that risk, although it's not that likely.
Just scary.

I'm sorry I missed something -- why does the cat need a "second spay"?

I just had a cat go through a second spay. She was spayed last June. I
only realized last month that her insistence on going outside all
summer (she actually tore through my screens) was related to her
regular estrus cycle. She was fine/quiet October-December, so when she
insisted on outdoor trips in January it finally clicked for me. She was
respayed in mid January. As this is a major surgery, she was put on
antibiotics prophylactically for seven days post-surgery and my vet
insisted on her wearing an e-collar for a full two weeks, both intended
to minimize the risk of infection. Yes, they hate the e-collar, but
I've dealt with a cat with post-surgery peritonitis before, and that is
much worse than dealing with a bad mood! Also be sure to check the
surture area for swelling/oozing daily. Good luck - my kitty is doing
just fine.

I honestly think that they are just trying to be super specific that they
aren't responsible. You have said that the cat is acting normal now except
for the heat. Every surgery has its risks. I just think that they are
covering their butts.

You can reduce the risks substantially by asking the vet to use a gas
anesthetic instead of an injectible.  In the event of an unforeseen
complication, the effects of the anesthetic can be quickly reversed.  I'd
also request a rapid-acting/short-acting induction agent so the quick
recovery from the gas anesthetic isn't delayed by the induction agent.

I'd also demand pre-anesthetic blood work and a thorough examination to make
sure she's healthy enough to undergo anesthesia and surgery.

Since the second surgery is the result of the vet's fault, I think you have
the right to demand these safety precautions and they're obliged to honor
your demands.

Good luck.

Phil

My sister's cat, Peasy, was sort-of spayed twice.  Peasy showed up outside
my sister's door one day and they started feeding her.  Peasy was maybe 5-6
months old when she first showed up.  After asking around, my sister found
out that she belonged to a nearby couple who split up and moved away,
leaving Peasy behind.  When my sister decided to keep her she made an
appointment to have her spayed.  The day of the surgery she called at the
check-up time and they informed her that Peasy had already been spayed.
They said they couldn't tell until they opened her up.  My sister was
horrified and said that she could clearly see the original scar on her belly
where the vet had shaved her.  She couldn't believe that they actually
opened her up again.  Peasy came out of it okay but my sister was upset for
months.

--
Liz