Ines, who graduated from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain in 2001, has spent the last seven years working at universities in America, Australia and Europe. She undertook her PhD in MR spectroscopy of the brain in dogs at the University of Bern-Zurich in Switzerland. She has a Masters in Radiology from University of Glasgow. She has also worked at the University of Illinois and Sydney University.
Willows clinical director Toby Gemmill said: "Ines is highly qualified and highly regarded, so is a very welcome addition to our talented imaging team. Her experience of working around the world will also be a terrific asset to the practice."
Ines said: "I am very happy and honoured to be joining Willows and to now be part of such a great diagnostic imaging team. "This is a well-known centre of excellence and I’m really looking forward to helping deliver the first class care and treatment that Willows always aims to provide."
For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net.
Willows says it is currently the only centre in the UK to offer the procedure, and one of very few in the world.
Simon Swift, an RCVS and European specialist in small animal cardiology (pictured right), heads the cardiology team at Willows.
He said: “Transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TEER) is already considered an alternative to surgical repair in human patients and there have been some very promising early clinical results in dogs.
“The procedure is performed under general anaesthesia through a small incision in the chest wall.
“Access within the beating heart is achieved by a needle puncture at the apex of the heart which is highlighted by continuous X-ray images and an ultrasound of the heart via a probe placed in the oesophagus.
“This allows correct positioning of a V-clamp across the mitral valve to reduce the amount of leakage.
“It’s a procedure that delivers meaningful results and an improved quality of life and, because it’s a minimally invasive process, patients are typically discharged from hospital within two days.”
www.willows.uk.net
Massimo (pictured left) qualified from Bologna Vet School in 1990 and spent two decades working as a specialist in veterinary neurology in Italy and Germany, following a three-year residency in neurology and neurosurgery at Bern in Switzerland.He has also spent almost 20 years lecturing at universities in Italy, including ten years as head of neurosurgery and advanced neurology diagnostics.
He said: "During my career I’ve spent short amounts of time in the UK and once I was aware of the opportunity to work with Northwest Veterinary Specialists, I jumped at the chance to move here.
"It has a fantastic reputation in providing the very best care to pets, and the recent investment in state-of-the-art facilities means we can offer the very best service to patients.
"I have a particular interest in continually improving our work around brain and spinal surgery and biopsies, and will be further researching technology and techniques to support treatment of epilepsy in pets."
Luca, who is currently a member of the Examinations Committee of the European College of Veterinary Neurology, also qualified in Italy (in 2007) at the University of Perugia, before moving to England where he completed his internship program in small animal medicine & surgery in 2009. He gained residency at a multi disciplinary referral hospital in the UK and was awarded the European College of Veterinary Neurology (ECVN) in 2012.
Luca has authored scientific papers in peer reviewed international journals and he has also been a reviewer for the Journal of Small Animal Practice and for the BMC Veterinary Research.
He said: "We’ll be focusing on changing the way we do neurosurgery to ensure the pets referred to us receive the very best treatment for their condition.
"We often see patients with intervertebral disc disease and epilepsy, and I’m looking to increase work around my main interests, including surgery of the central nervous system and epilepsy."
Liz Cousins, hospital manager at Northwest Veterinary Specialists said: "This year we’ve been making significant investment in our facilities and people, so it’s fantastic to be able to attract two experienced neurology specialists in Luca and Massimo,” said Liz Cousins, hospital manager at Northwest Veterinary Specialists.
"Luca and Massimo’s appointments clearly demonstrate our emphasis on creating teams of experienced and extremely knowledgeable specialists across the centre."
Mark, who graduated from Cambridge University in 1997, has a broad interest in internal medicine but particularly enjoys the challenges posed by gastrointestinal, endocrine, haematology and renal medicine.
He has a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge and after completing his PhD he took a residency in Small Animal Medicine at Cambridge, followed by four years in a private specialist practice in the south of England.
Mark was then appointed Clinical Associate Professor in Small Animal Internal Medicine at the Nottingham Veterinary School, where he was responsible for running the final year medicine rotation along with lecturing to all years of the veterinary course.
He was also in charge of the school’s small animal intern and residency programmes in addition to supervising both undergraduate and post-graduate research students.
Mark has also been involved in national and international investigations into canine breed-related diseases such as canine cancer, canine and feline haematology, canine endocrine disease and the development of novel non-invasive biomarkers to help diagnose both simple and complex medical diseases.
Outside work, Mark is a seven-guitar-owning-musician, a race-winning cyclist and a keen runner with a personal best of one hour twenty five minutes for a half marathon. What a relief for the rest of us mere mortals to hear there's something he's rubbish at: he says he swims 'like a brick'.
Mark said: "I’m excited to be joining the outstanding team at Willows who deliver such exceptional care to pets and their owners and such an outstanding service to the referring veterinary surgeons.
"It is a wonderful opportunity for me and I’m really looking forward to making my own contribution to their continued success."
The sessions will be delivered by Andrew Kent, clinical director at Blaise and a small animal internal medicine specialist, Lara Dempsey, head of soft tissue surgery, Jacques Ferrerira, head of anaesthesia, Mike Farrell, head of orthopaedic surgery, and neurology clinician, Emma Suiter (pictured).
The talks will cover:
Client communication will also be covered, together with some orthopaedics for those with an interest in that area.
Andy said: “We’re building an incredible team at Blaise and are very excited at the prospect of sharing the specialist knowledge that our clinicians have with our wider veterinary community.
"Treating liver conditions can be incredibly complex and our educational programme presents an unrivalled opportunity to deep dive into this part of an animal’s body and how best to approach it.”
Tickets are available for £48 from https://www.ivcevidensiareferrals.com/Delivering-the-Best, with all profits going to the charity StreetVet.
Blaise Veterinary Referral Hospital in Longbridge is IVC’s first purpose-built pet hospital and will be open to accept referral patients from November 2023.
www.blaise-referrals.com
http://herbertsyard.com
The new service is being headed by Dr Katia Marioni-Henry.
Katia graduated from the University of Parma in 1995 and went on to do a PhD in Clinical Electrodiagnostic at the University of Turin and Scott-Ritchey Research Center in Auburn, Alabama.
Her early career was spent at various American universities, where she became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, with a subspecialty in Neurology and finally an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at the University of Tennessee.
Katia came to the UK to work as a consultant in neurology and neurosurgery for a number of large referral practices, before moving to the University of Edinburgh in 2013, where she started the neurology/neurosurgery service, building it from scratch to a nine-strong team.
Katia said: “This is absolutely the best place to be brought in an emergency, but previously we’d have to refer some cases elsewhere for conditions affecting the brain, peripheral nerves or the spine.
“Now some of these debilitating neurological conditions can be diagnosed and treated rapidly here without having to transport the animal.”
“With our CT scanner, for example, we can diagnose slipped discs quickly, especially in small breeds, and treat them surgically.
“And we can use it for brain scans if there is trauma or if we suspect a tumour or severe inflammation in the brain.
“We can do a lumbar tap to rule out inflammation of the central nervous system either on infectious or immune-mediated basis.”
Tatiana graduated from the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal in 2005.
She worked for more than 10 years in general practice in Portugal, where she dedicated most of her time to dermatology.
She started a three-year residency in 2016 at the at the Hospital Clinic Veterinari of the Fundació Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and became a diplomate of the ECVD in 2020.
Tatiana’s appointment means NDSR will now offer a specialist-led dermatology service five days a week.
Tatiana said: “I am so excited to be a part of such an amazing multi-disciplinary hospital like NDSR.
“It’s not often that you come across hospitals which have all the equipment and services at hand to provide expert diagnosis to animals quickly and efficiently.
“My mission is to build on NDSR’s excellent service to primary care vets and pet owners in the region and hope that we can continue to act as a real extension of their teams.”
Gerry Polton, clinical director at NDSR, said: “Tatiana is clearly a very experienced and respected dermatologist and we are so pleased she has joined NDSR."
For more information, visit www.ndsr.co.uk/home.
Davies Veterinary Specialists (DVS), the private small animal referral centre based in Hertfordshire, has installed two new state-of-the-art ESAOTE ultrasound machines.
DVS says The MyLab Twice Vet and the MyLab Class C Vet provide fast, efficient and highly accurate imaging in a wide range of applications, including high-definition abdominal, cardiac, musculoskeletal and ophthalmic scans.
The MyLab Twice Vet, with its range of probes including the broadband 18MHz linear probe, will be used for general ultrasonographic imaging at DVS. It is capable of the most refined contrast media examinations that, for example, can help to locate and identify a liver tumour that may be rendered invisible when using conventional diagnostic procedures.
The MyLab Class C will be used predominantly for advanced cardiac work, including trans-oesophageal echocardiography for interventional procedures in theatre.
Pedro Oliveira, European Veterinary Specialist in Cardiology at DVS said: "The trans-oesophageal probe is currently a very rare piece of equipment in veterinary diagnostics. It gives us the capacity to obtain unique views of the heart, especially the heart base which can be a very difficult area to examine with regular echocardiography. It also allows real-time and direct monitoring of procedures, such as deployment of devices to occlude patent ductus arteriosus, surgery and anaesthesia in critical patients."
The first patient to benefit from the new My Lab Class C was an 11-year-old, female German shepherd dog with suspected cardiac neoplasia following several episodes of haemorrhage into the pericardium. A normal echocardiographic examination identified a small suspect area but it was in a part of the heart that was very difficult to approach surgically.
However, a trans-oesophageal examination revealed that another small mass close to the tip of the right auricle was actually the origin of the bleeding. The dog underwent surgery to remove the mass and subsequently made a full recovery. Without the My Lab Class C there would have been no viable options for this dog.
Clive Elwood, Managing Director at DVS, said: "Combining the best possible on-site diagnostic equipment with some of Europe's finest clinicians enables us to provide the best possible service and outcome for our patients, across multiple disciplines."
Simon, who has worked at DWR for 15 years, graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2002 before completing his residency in small animal medicine and intensive care at the University of Bristol.
He gained his European diploma at Bristol before moving to DWR in October 2007, where he has since been widely published and lectures at home and abroad on infectious disease, acute medicine and interventional radiology.
Simon is also a veterinary advisor to the Pet Blood Bank charity and was awarded fellowship of the RCVS through meritorious contribution to clinical practice in 2018.
Simon said: “It’s a huge privilege for me to take up the position of clinical director at Dick White Referrals, having worked here and helped the practice grow over the last 15 years.
“I’m really looking forward to leading the move into our new building, which offers state-of-the-art facilities for pets, owners and the team.”
Simon said one of his ambitions as clinical director was to foster DWR’s residency and intern programmes to be “the very best place to come and learn from some of the most talented vets and nurses in the profession”.
He added: “We have very successful and well-established rotating internship and residency programmes in many areas and this year we add emergency and critical care to that list.”
The new suite offers chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment facilities under one roof, including a linear accelerator (LINAC) which enables treatment of tumours previously considered untreatable.
Southfields has two full-time client-facing specialists in radiation oncology and two on-site, full-time double-boarded medical and radiation oncologists, along with dedicated radiotherapy technicians and therapeutic radiographers.
RCVS and European Specialist Sarah Mason, Southfield's lead in general oncology, said: “Southfields is already renowned as being the leader in cancer treatment for small animals in the UK and the opening of our dedicated oncology and radiotherapy suite takes patient care to an even higher level.”
www.southfields.co.uk
Cancer Care for Pets offers both clinical and palliative care for pets with cancer, supporting the work of the first opinion team at Donaldson's and taking referral cases from far and wide.
Neil and Kirsty have worked in practice together in the Yorkshire area for seven years, working with owners and families to create treatment plans involving diagnostic investigations, specialised imaging, surgery, chemotherapy and palliative care.
Neil said: "As far as we know, we are one of very few services to offer this combination of veterinary and nurse-led consultations, where comprehensive cancer treatment and care plans are developed together with owners. We have worked hard to instil our team approach where, following surgery and treatment, the Cancer Care team, the owner and the referring practice are all involved in the pet’s ongoing care and wellbeing."
Kirsty said: “Neil and I do many of our consults together. Neil will give his clinical overview and I will help owners to process and understand the treatment and the next steps for their pet.
“It was incredibly important to us to create a friendly, welcoming environment in our new dedicated consultation area at the hospital. We need people to trust us and be honest about how fit and well their pet really is, in the knowledge we are not automatically going to tell them there is nothing we can offer them. Treating cancer is about life, not managing a death, and making sure that the pet’s life – even if it is limited – is as good as it can be.”
Neil said: "The Cancer Care for Pets team will be working alongside the wider Donaldson’s veterinary and nursing teams and we are keen to learn from each other. The facilities at the hospital are second to none, particularly our new purpose-built consultation area, the practice’s new CT scanner and the high spec operating facilities. Donaldson’s also has a well-respected rehabilitation and pain clinician with whom we can work closely to help our older patients to keep mobile, flexible and maintain activity levels.”
Neil and Kirsty are supported by a third member of the Cancer Care for Pets team, oncology nurse Jenna Carrick RVN.
Cancer Care for Pets is now accepting referrals. Contact: info@cancercareforpets.co.uk or 01484 242911.
Having had a three-month sabbatical working at Fitzpatrick, Jonathan decided to relocate from New Zealand where most recently he'd been Head of the Companion Animal Group at Massey University.
Jonathan said: "My prime passion is working directly with animals and their families in a supportive and exceptional clinical setting. I enjoy pushing boundaries and not accepting the status quo. I want to identify better ways of improving outcomes for patients, and minimising the impact of the disease (or its treatment) on an animal’s quality of life. My sabbatical at Fitzpatrick Referrals exposed me to their tremendous energy and real passion for patient and client care. From the moment the clients walk in the door, I feel there is an embrace that lets people know we truly care and want to do the best for their animal friend. I am looking forward to discovering what we can achieve together. Cancer management is such an important opportunity, with the power to change both animal and human lives positively. The direction and focus of Fitzpatrick Referrals in this area is already incredibly exciting.”
Clinical Director of Oncology and Soft Tissue, Professor Nick Bacon said: "On Jon’s first day of his sabbatical, he jumped right into the team and made an immediate positive impact. He hasn’t looked back. He carries with him such a good energy, which we all absorb and hopefully reflect back. His knowledge of implant design for dealing with defects in the mandible and elsewhere is exceptional and I am looking forward to watching that develop. I am also very pleased that Jon’s wife Sharyn is able to join the team; she is very experienced in the field of advanced imaging in humans, including Fluoroscopy and PET-CT. This is already benefitting our patients as we improve our diagnostic and treatment abilities, and get ready for the future."
Jonathan has active research interests in several clinical areas including soft tissue sarcoma, injection-site sarcoma, endoprosthetics and haemangiosarcoma. He also supports the concept of One Medicine as his PhD research into soft tissue sarcoma, haemangiosarcoma and endoprosthetics has a potential relevance in improving the understanding of treatment paradigms for humans and animals.
Matthew, who holds a European Certificate in Small Animal Surgery, is one of a small group of veterinary dentists in the UK. He has a special interest in the endodontic (root canal) treatment of teeth.
Ray Girotti, Hospital Director at Lumbry Park, said: "The increasing prevalence of oral and dental disease among dogs and cats and its potential to cause significant pain and infection, not just in the oral cavity but within the whole body, highlights the importance of advanced dental care.
"We are delighted to be working with Matthew. He will be accepting referrals for a range of dental problems, including fractured teeth, root canal treatment, prosthetic crowns, fractured jaws, oral tumours and orthodontics.
"In leading our dental referral service, he will work alongside our specialist teams in cardiology, internal medicine, orthopaedics, neurology, diagnostic imaging and anaesthesia to ensure that we are providing a full service and comprehensive approach to the care of our patients."
Matthew added: "I’m excited to be launching a new dental referral service at Lumbry Park. The advanced facilities it offers, including the capability to work with specialist anaesthetists and to utilise the latest in-house 3D CT and MRI imaging equipment, make it a fantastic opportunity and I’m looking forward to working closely with my colleagues to deliver an outstanding dental referral service."
Headed by Stephanie Lalor, a European Specialist in Internal Medicine, the clinic provides initial assessment and treatment - from blood work and blood pressure - to ongoing care.
Suitable for cats with a wide range of medical conditions, including respiratory tract disease, gastrointestinal conditions and endocrinopathies, the clinic is housed in Willows iCatCare certified ‘cat-friendly’ facility, which has its own cat ward and waiting area.
Stephanie, who completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Edinburgh University (funded by International Cat Care) in 2014, and then completed the Diploma of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine last year, said: "Here at Willows we do all we can to minimise the difficulties that cats and their owners might encounter when they come to see us.
"Our staff are trained to be aware of their needs and we have put in place not only the necessary facilities but also specific working practices in order to make any visit as stress-free as possible.
"These cat-specific clinics will be yet another string to our bow and we will work closely with referring vets to ensure that we meet each patient’s unique needs – providing a detailed written report following each visit."
For more information about the cat-specific internal medicine clinics taking place at Willows, or to make a referral, call 0121 712 7070.
Daniel Calvo Carrasco, an RCVS specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine and a European Specialist in Avian Medicine and Surgery, will be heading up the new service, which opens its doors to patients in January.
Daniel graduated from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in 2010. He began his career at first opinion practices in Birmingham and Wiltshire, where he developed his skills as a vet in small animals, while still having the chance to look after small furries from a local pet shop where he was based. He then completed an exotic animal medicine and zoological medicine internship, followed by two years of small animal and exotic practice in the UK.
In May 2016 he gained his RCVS CertAVP(ZooMed) and later that year he completed his European College Zoological Medicine Avian residency.
For the next two years, he worked at Great Western Exotics before joining the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in 2018, where he combined conservation work with managing and caring for its living collection.
Daniel said: “I’ve always had a passion for zoological medicine and caring for the more exotic mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and I’m excited to be leading this new service at Southfields.
“I really enjoy all aspects of exotic, zoo and wildlife medicine and have a particularly keen interest in orthopaedics and advanced surgery in exotic species.
“I have treated all sorts of species in my time from parrots and lizards to wading birds such as the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Aldabra tortoise, Hyacinth Macaw, Toucans, Seriemas and many birds of prey.”
Southfields hospital director Daniel Hogan said: “We are delighted to have recruited Daniel to lead this exciting addition to the services we offer.
“He is highly experienced and will lead our new exotic animal service, which is the first such service in the whole of the South East and will be available 24/7 to offer the best and most comprehensive zoo and wildlife care in the region.”
For more information, visit: https://www.southfields.co.uk/
Mark Morton is an RCVS Specialist in small animal orthopaedics, with a particular interest in cruciate ligament injuries: he developed the RCVS Knowledge ‘Canine Cruciate Registry’, of which he remains clinical lead.
Mark has published peer-reviewed papers in the areas of Achilles tendon injury and clinical outcomes measures, as well as pioneering a novel technique to repair Achilles tendon injuries which is now used internationally.
Prior to joining Movement Referrals, Mark has been the lead clinician at a multi-disciplinary referral centre for the last 3 years.
The other Mark, Lowrie, is RCVS and EBVS European Specialist in Veterinary Neurology.
Mark is a global leader in movement disorders in dogs, and has over 50 peer-reviewed articles to his name.
He has also established novel treatment strategies for meningoencephalitis, a common, disabling brain condition of dogs, which has reduced mortality by over 50%.
Mark Morton (pictured) said: “I am delighted to be joining the management team at Movement Referrals.
"I know the rest of the team very well having worked closely with them all before, I can’t think of a better or more experienced team to develop this practice with.
"We aim to provide exceptional care to our patients, with a real focus on the service we provide and the outcomes we achieve”
The two Marks will join the Board of Directors with Ben Walton and Professor John Innes, both RCVS Specialists, and Dr Brian Beale, an ACVS-boarded Specialist in small animal surgery.
RSA has announced the rollout of its UK-wide network of preferred referral practices.
The scheme caused widespread concern within the profession when it was trialed in the Midlands earlier this year, primarily because of fears that it would reduce general practitioners' freedom to refer an animal to a centre that they felt could provide the most appropriate care for both the animal and the owner. In addition, RSA's claim that it was aiming to provide like-for-like care at a lower cost was undermined by the fact that the network could hardly field a single RCVS Recognised Specialist amongst its numbers. There were also concerns being voiced about the terms under which referral practices could join the network.
However, the underlying challenge of keeping pet insurance affordable remains. RSA says that according to its research, and based on Association of British Insurers averages, 27% of its customers pay more for their pet insurance than the average cost of home insurance; 17% pay more than the average cost of car insurance and 3% pay more than the average cost for private medical insurance.
It does seem as though RSA has been making a concerted effort to adopt a more collaborative approach before the nationwide rollout, having meetings with both the BVA and BSAVA which the respective organisations described as 'constructive'.
The current state of play is that RSA is inviting referral practices to join its network in advance of a launch some time after the end of the year. Thereafter, VetSurgeon.org understands that clients who decide to opt for a non-emergency referral outside its network will be subject to an additional flat fee which has yet to be announced.
Bill Paton, Claims Director for UK and Western Europe said: “The introduction of this new preferred referral network ensures that our customers will receive the most appropriate available treatment as diagnosed by their vet.
"For us, being able to control costs with our vet partners in the network will help us manage our claims cost more effectively and ensure that policy limits last as long as possible.
"Ultimately, this will have a positive effect on premium rates for our customers ensuring that pet insurance remains affordable.”
For more information about joining RSA's referral network, email: rsa.pet@uk.rsagroup.com.
The new scanner takes scans 50% faster and at a far higher resolution than the outgoing model.
It also boasts a wide bore magnet, simple coil arrangement and large number of channels, which means clinicians can scan different organ systems in patients of all shapes and sizes.
Cave says the new equipment allows it to expand into emerging fields such as cardiac MRI and advanced musculoskeletal imaging.
Tom Cardy, head of neurology, said: “It’s not often in your career you get to work with a truly class-leading piece of equipment such as this.
“The new scanner will greatly improve the patient and client experience we provide. This investment significantly increases the capability of our neurology service and the whole team are excited to get to grips with this amazing piece of kit.”
For more information, visit https://cave-vet-specialists.co.uk.
Photo: L-R Radiographer Tracy Down and imaging nurse Staci Finn
Lead surgeon at Roundhouse, Ross Allan (pictured right), an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery, said: "We know many practitioners and clients have been frustrated by the difficulties in availability of TPLO in Scotland and we wanted to change that.
"As with our other Roundhouse Referral offerings, we have done away with long waiting lists, unpredictable pricing, and challenges in clinical continuity. We know that in doing so we will revolutionise access to this service and the experience of its users.
"Our TPLO service offers excellent value and quality – we have invested heavily in the very best DePuy Synthes TPLO plates and implants and, together with our hospital status, standards and track record, we are offering a premier TPLO service in Scotland: a TPLO with a recovery that is as reliable and predictable as our Fixed Price!"
The fixed prices for a TPLO are £3000 for dogs under 40kg and £3100 for dogs over 40kg.
The price includes the consultation, diagnostic X-rays/assessment, pre-surgical blood samples, hospitalisation, anaesthesia, surgery (including implants), follow up consultation and follow up X-rays.
Ross added: "We don’t expect anything to go wrong, but should we need to revise our surgery we would do so at no additional cost to the client – that’s our Fixed-Price Fix!"
To make an enquiry, or refer a patient for a Fixed Price Fix TPLO contact Roundhouse Referrals at 0141 649 1316 www.rhr.vet
Instead of the traditional format, where one expert, perhaps two, come and lecture on a subject, IVC has gathered together experts from different disciplines to give their differing perspectives on a subject, each talking for 30 minutes.
For example, you'll be able to hear about BOAS surgery from the perspective of a Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine, an anaesthetist, a Specialist in Small Animal Surgery and a Specialist Surgical Nurse.
Collapse will be covered by a neurologist, a cardiologist and an ECC specialist.
IVC says the aim is to make the sessions as concise and to-the-point, but as practical as possible, and you'll be able to come and meet the speakers on the stand afterwards.
Richard Artingstall (MBA, MA, Vet MB, CertSAS, MRCVS, RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery) from Vale Referrals and the IVC Evidensia Referrals Strategy Group, said: "Working our Referrals and Equine streams like this gives delegates the opportunity to gain a real insight, from different disciplines, into how our specialists work up a case.
"The lectures will offer practical, discipline-based guidance, looking at clinical presentations and problems from different discipline perspectives. Our hope is that this will help delegates in decision making and planning case management plans for these more tricky case presentations in practice. I think it will be incredibly useful for them and I can’t wait to be there."
More information: https://london.vetshow.com/ivc-clinical-theatre
The procedure involves introducing a catheter through the jugular, then using fluoroscopy and transoesophageal echocardiography to guide it from the right atrium through to the left side of the heart to relieve abnormal high pressures in the left atrium.
Willows says it is one of only a few centres across Europe equipped to carry out the procedure and that typically, patients who undergo TSP can be discharged from hospital the day after surgery.
Fabio Sarcinella (pictured right), an RCVS and European specialist in small animal cardiology at Willows, said: “Early clinical evaluation of the TSP procedure in humans over the last few years has shown improved quality of life and reduced clinical signs in patients with heart failure.
“The procedure has also been associated with low-risk and a meaningful drop in left atrial pressure of the affected patients.”
Fabio added: “As well as being minimally invasive, the improvement in heart chamber pressures via TSP often allows for a reduction in the dose of water tablets which are used to control the heart failure signs in the lungs.
"Lowering the dose reduces the risk of side effects related to these drugs such as kidney failure.”
Willows says TSP is most commonly used for left atrial decompression in dogs with heart failure and concurrent renal disease or that have advanced heart failure but continue to have symptoms despite optimal medical treatment.
Adam, who is one of only 17 ECC Specialists in the UK, will be developing an ECC service at Lumbry Park.
Following graduation and an internship at the Royal Veterinary College, Adam worked in hospital and emergency general practice. He completed his residency in Emergency and Critical Care in 2013 becoming board certified the same year. He also completed a Master’s in Veterinary Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College.
Adam became an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Emergency and Critical Care in 2015. In his most recent role, he was Group Head of Emergency and Intensive Care for four RCVS-Recognised hospitals and branches and oversaw standards of out-of-hours provision to 50+ sites. He also led the development of the first specialist 24-hour veterinary intensive care unit in central London.
Ray Girotti, Hospital Director, said: "Adam will be working with our multi-disciplinary team to offer a dedicated point of contact for emergency referrals, a move which will enhance the provision of critical care for our sickest patients. We are delighted to welcome a Specialist of his calibre to Lumbry Park."
Adam said: "The leadership on all issues relating to patient care shown by CVS’ Clinical Advisory Committee was inspiring and, with its full support, I have been offered an unrivalled opportunity to develop a leading ECC service at Lumbry Park. I’m really looking forward to my new role and to participating on the Clinical Advisory Committee to enhance ECC services right across CVS."
Davies says its Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory, headed by Pedro Oliveira (pictured right), is one of only four centres in the world to perform the procedure, and it has usually required human medical support. The fact that they've been able to operate independently means the procedure should now start to become more readily available.
The procedure involves introducing special catheters via peripheral veins into the heart, where they are used to record the electrical activity of the heart muscle, thereby allowing the identification of the source and mechanism of cardiac arrhythmias.
Once the abnormal tissue is found, it is destroyed using intense localised energy delivered by another specialised catheter: radiocatheter ablation.
This technique is common in human medicine but very rare in veterinary medicine because of the level of specialisation needed.
In the past, the cardiology team at Davies needed the support of a consultant and a cardiac physiologist from the human field to help carry out the surgery. Having now done it unaided, Pedro is confident that in time Davies will be able to help considerably more patients, promptly after diagnosis.
Pedro said: "In three years we have treated one cat and 19 dogs. Several cases did not survive long enough for surgery despite a waiting time of only a few days to up to two weeks from referral to the procedure. Most of these dogs were puppies. This is incredibly frustrating as if performed early these procedures are curative for most patients."
Davies says that to date it has had a procedural success rate of 100%, with recurrence of the arrhythmia in just one dog. The remaining dogs were cured from their arrhythmias and recovered fully except for two dogs that had sustained too much heart muscle damage and continued to suffer from congestive heart failure.
Pedro added: "Hopefully in the future severe muscle damage can be avoided by early referral when the arrhythmia is detected. If you diagnose a cardiac arrhythmia, especially supraventricular tachycardia, please consider this treatment option because it is very likely to be curative."
The Davies cardiology team can be contacted at cardiology@vetspecialists.co.uk.
Incidentally, Pedro has also co-authored (with Ruth Willis and Antonia Mavropoulou) a new book on electrocardiography. Guide to Canine and Feline Electrocardiography will be published in September 2018 and is available for pre-order on Amazon now, priced at £89.99.
The Cheshire-based specialist referral centre provides advanced surgical procedures and specialist veterinary support to practices in north west England and north and mid-Wales.
Its specialist disciplines include orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, a specialist diabetes clinic, spinal surgery, anaesthesia and intensive care, cardiology, diagnostic imaging, pain management, neurology (medical and surgical), oncology and internal medicine.
Liz Cousins, Northwest's Hospital Manager said: "Following our recent brand transition from Northwest Surgeons to Northwest Veterinary Specialists we are delighted to receive this accreditation.
"The scheme examines every part of what we do, from customer experience, equipment and facilities right through to clinical governance. In a hospital with more than 85 colleagues, that’s a lot of work to do to meet the high standards.
"Our new brand name reflects the range of specialist services we offer and this accreditation gives confidence to fellow veterinary surgeons and pet owners that we really do offer the very best specialist care for pets.
"We continually strive for excellence across the business, and this is another way of demonstrating just how good the specialists are at Northwest Veterinary Specialists."
Picture shows: Matt Gurney, European Veterinary Specialist in Anaesthesia and Analgesia (centre) with Kathryn Humphreys, Head of Nursing, (right), Jenny Pearson, support Services Manager, (left) with the RCVS Hospital Accreditation.
Headed by Esteban Gonzalez-Gasch, a European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery, the new department enables the practice to undertake a wide range of complex small animal procedures.
Injuries and conditions treated include fracture fixation, including complex and simple fractures; cruciate disease, including tibial osteotomies and extracapsular repair; arthroscopy; arthrodesis of chronically painful joints; elbow dysplasia; lameness investigation in adults and juveniles; treatment of growth deformities including distraction osteogenesis; osteoarthritis and musculo-skeletal neoplasia.
Esteban, who joined Southfields earlier this year from the leading Spanish veterinary hospital Ars Veterinaria, in Barcelona, said: "These new facilities really do put Southfields at the cutting edge of 21st century veterinary science and practice in the UK."
Southfields is also carrying out a full refurbishment of its existing facilities and recruiting a number of additional specialist veterinary surgeons, nurses and support staff.
Southfields’ operations manager Daniel Hogan said: "This is a very exciting period for us. We are growing in every possible area and working more closely with referring practices to continue to develop our bespoke and exceptional service for patients and clients.
"Our aim is aspiring and simple: to create the very best referral centre possible by bringing together the expertise of the very best of veterinary professionals supported by the very latest in technological innovation."
As well as orthopaedics, the practice accepts referrals in soft tissue surgery, internal medicine, oncology, neurology, feline medicine and cardiology. For more information, go to www.southfields.co.uk.