This department admits and treats patients through direct referral (when the pet is stable, the condition is clearly identified and its treatment is primarily surgical) or, more often, after an initial staging and work-up by other departments including our Internal Medicine or our Emergency services.

Indeed, most of these patients, are presented with conditions that require some diagnostic investigations including basic or advanced imaging or that require an initial stabilization before any other form of treatment.

Our Department is supported as well at all times by a team of highly trained and experienced clinicians, in order to liaise with your referring veterinarian or with yourself and provide your pet with the most sensible and time-efficient approach.

Many soft tissue surgical patients require intensive nursing and input from internal medicine and anaesthesia/critical care teams. At VES we are able to provide all these elements of patient care within the same facilities with 24/7 patient care, and the soft tissue department works closely with our dedicated nursing staff and our other clinicians, enabling us to optimize the care and outcome for each surgical case.

Because we know how stressful, putting your pet through a major procedure can be, our dedicated team will provide you with daily updates during the stay of your loved one.

Our Soft Tissue Department provides a comprehensive service and the most up-to-date solutions for dogs and cats with a wide variety of surgical problems.

Ear nose and throat:

• Total ear canal ablation (TECA) and bulla osteotomy for management of chronic ear infections
• Oto-endoscopic staging and diagnosis of ear diseases
• Aspergillosis (fungal infection)
• Brachycephalic airway syndrome
• Laryngeal paralysis, Tracheal rupture
• Maxillary/mandibular tumours
• Conditions of the salivary glands

Urogenital:

• Congenital & acquired urinary incontinence (ectopic ureters), prostatic disease and cryptorchidism
• Artificial urethral sphincters
• Tumours and obstructive conditions of the urinary tract (including Subcutaneous Ureteral Bypass)

Oncological:

• Hard and soft tissue tumours (cancers)
• Mast cell tumour
• Soft tissue sarcomas
• Oral tumours

Gastrointestinal:

• Oesophageal strictures/foreign body removal
• Intestinal tumours/obstruction
• Subtotal colectomy in feline megacolon, colorectal surgery
• Anal sac tumours, furonculosis 

Wound management and reconstruction:

• Local/distant skin flaps and free skin grafting, major cavity-reconstruction

Hepatobiliary system:

• Portosystemic shunts (abnormal blood vessels by-passing the liver)
• Hepatic tumours
• Biliary conditions (choleliths, mucoceles, neoplasia)

Cardiothoracic:

• Congenital cardiac defects, pericardiectomy, atrial tumours
• Lung lobectomy, thymectomy
• Migrating foreign bodies
• Pyothorax and chylothorax

Endocrine surgery:

• Thyroidectomy and adrenalectomy

Hernia/rupture surgery:

• Perineal ruptures
• Diaphragmatic ruptures
• Pericardioperitoneal herniation