Our surgery suite gives us the versatility to perform many different types of surgeries here in our hospital. Surgery and medicine are complementary approaches that allow thorough prevention and treatment of disease in our patients.
We take many precautions to make every surgery as safe as can be. Prior to anesthesia, all of our surgery patients have a blood panel run to check for any underlying diseases that could complicate anesthesia. While anesthetized, our patients are maintained on intravenous fluids to support their blood pressure and allow quick access to the veins in case of emergency. All patients are hooked up to machines that monitor their vital signs (heart rate and rhythm, breathing rate, blood pressure, and oxygenation), and a technician is monitoring these machines and watching the patient to ensure safety.
Our staff veterinarians perform the majority of the surgeries—from routine spays and neuters to emergency surgeries and much in between. We also have access to board-certified veterinary surgeons to handle the more complicated soft tissue and orthopedic surgeries when needed.
Phil Vasseur, DVM, is a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. He was formerly a professor of surgery at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Vasseur specializes in orthopedic surgery—he performs fracture repairs, corrects ligament damage, and fixes early bone/cartilage developmental abnormalities to name a few.
Carl Kohler, DVM, is a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dr. Kohler is available for difficult soft tissue surgeries, including complicated mass removals, invasive organ procedures (such as gallbladder removal), and airway surgery.
The skills of our staff veterinarians coupled with those of both of these respected surgeons allow us to provide a large variety of surgical services in a timely manner to our patients. This minimizes the chance that our patients will have to go elsewhere to receive proper treatment, allowing more consistent care for our patients and communication with their owners.