Pet Soft Tissue Surgeries

Abdominal surgery consists of procedures on numerous different organs within the abdomen. These include the liver, gall bladder, stomach, small intestines, colon, pancreas, adrenal glands, bladder, urethra, kidneys, and ureters.

• Hernia – Diaphragmatic hernia, body wall hernia, hiatal hernia, peritoneal-pericardial hernia, perineal hernia
• Liver – Liver lobectomy for abscess or tumor removal, Liver biopsy (open or laparoscopic), Portosystemic shunts
• Gall bladder – Cholecystectomy, Cholecystoenterostomy
• Stomach – Gastropexy (open or laparoscopic), Gastrotomy (foreign body), Gastric Biopsy, Gastric Dilation and Volvulus (GDV)
• Small intestines – Biopsy, Enterotomy or Resection and Anastomosis for foreign body removal, tumor removal
• Colon – Tumor resection, Megacolon
• Pancreas – Biopsy, Tumor Resection, Abscess Drainage
• Adrenal glands – Adrenal mass removal, Adrenalectomy
• Bladder – Cystotomy (bladder stones), Biopsy
• Prostate – Prostatic biopsy, prostatic abscess, prostatic cysts
• Urethra – Urethrotomy (urethral stones), perineal urethrostomy (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease)
• Kidneys – Nephrectomy (tumor, trauma), Nephrotomy (Kidney stones)
• Ureter – Ureterotomy (ureteral stones), Neoureterocystostomy (ectopic ureter)
• Ovaries and Uterus – Ovariohysterectomy (pyometra), Ovariectomy (open or laparoscopic)
• Perianal – anal sacculectomy, perianal mass removal

Upper airway surgery consists of surgical procedures performed on the larynx, the trachea, nose, and soft palate. The most common upper airway conditions that are treated with surgery include; brachycephalic syndrome which includes elongated soft palate, stenotic nares, and everted laryngeal saccules (English bulldogs, Pugs, French Bulldogs, etc.), laryngeal paralysis (Labrador retrievers) which is treated with arytenoid laterlization, and tracheal collapse (small and toy breed dogs).

Surgery is often only one component of treating cancer, which is why our surgeons work closely with Medical Oncologists on patients diagnosed with cancer. Once your pet is evaluated we will make our treatment recommendations to allow the best care for your pet. Conditions treated can range from benign skin tumors, amputation of a digit or limb, to the large malignant thoracic or abdominal tumors.

Head and neck surgery consists of procedures performed on the ears, throat, and mouth of dogs and cats. Dogs and cats may suffer from tumors in the neck (thyroid tumors) which may require surgery. The most common procedure performed on the ear is a total ear canal ablation (TECA) which is used to treat chronic ear infections. It eliminates any infected tissue and allows your pet to live a more comfortable life without the pain associated with chronic ear infections.

For minimally invasive surgery, we create small incisions through the skin to allow for access to the surgery site through skin ‘portals’. Through these portals, we can insert a small camera into different body cavities including the abdomen, chest, and even joints.

Though small incisions give a small working area, we are able to work with a magnified high-definition image that can often make the surgery easier and allow us to find problems that we might miss with a regular open surgery. Additional portals can easily be created to allow the surgeon to utilize specialized instruments to perform different procedures.

The smaller incisions often allow for a faster recovery with less post-operative pain and a smaller incision for your pet.

Veterinary Laparoscopy involves surgery with a small camera and scope placed in the abdomen. Procedures that are commonly performed laparoscopically or laparoscopic-assisted include; ovariectomy, liver biopsy, and gastropexy.