Pet Surgery for Cats & Dogs in Springfield
The surgery department at The Regional Veterinary Referral Center offers cutting-edge services provided by leaders in the field of veterinary surgery.
We are proud to be able to offer comprehensive surgical services, ranging from elective procedures to open-heart surgeries or total hip replacements.
Our Goals
Our goals are to:
- Support the veterinarians in the Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland area through a team approach to referral surgery including pre and post operative care.
- To provide state-of-the-art surgical care for all our patients.
- To serve as a referral center for the treatment of cancer in pets. To this end, we work as a team with our medical and radiation oncologist to plan the best available combination of treatments for our patients.
Our Veterinary Surgeons
A veterinary surgeon has undergone years of training after veterinary school to become a specialist. This training includes an internship followed by a residency program that meets guidelines established by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS).
The Surgery Department at The Regional Veterinary Referral Center
In the veterinary surgery department at The Regional Veterinary Referral Center, we believe in providing care of the highest standard for our surgical patients. It is also important that the pet owners are well-informed and comfortable with the treatment and decisions regarding the surgical procedure their pet may require.
All the staff members in our hospital are caring and compassionate, making the stay in the hospital as comfortable as possible for both your pet and you. During the initial consultation, your pet will be examined by one of our board certified surgeons. The examination will be followed by a discussion about your pet’s problem and the surgical treatment; this will allow us to make a decision together as to what is best for your pet.
What to Expect with Veterinary Surgery in Springfield
At The Regional Veterinary Referral Center, our surgical center is equipped with cutting-edge surgical instrumentation and equipment. Everything we do, every decision we make, is designed to ensure post-operative success for your pet.
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What can I expect from my pet's visit?
The initial consultation usually lasts about 30 minutes, but additional time may be needed if X-rays or other diagnostic tests are required to aid in our decision-making or surgical planning.
Surgery, if indicated, is usually performed the same day. Expected costs, risks, possible complications and prognosis will be discussed with you prior to surgery. After surgery, you will be contacted by the surgeon to discuss the surgical findings and how your pet is recovering from the procedure.
At discharge from the hospital, both you and your referring veterinarian will receive a copy of the discharge instructions and referral letter. Your veterinarian will also be mailed digital photos of the surgical procedure for their records.
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What orthopedic and general surgeries are commonly performed?
- Fracture repairs, using plating, pinning and external skeletal fixation.
- Cranial cruciate ligament repair, extra-capsular techniques, tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) and tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA).
- Arthroscopic joint surgery.
- Other orthopedic procedures.
- Laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery.
- Thoracic surgery.
- Gastrointestinal surgery.
- Hernia repairs.
- Urinary tract surgery.
- Upper respiratory tract surgery.
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Do you offer surgical oncology services?
Here at the surgery department at The Regional Veterinary Referral Center we have a sub-specialization in surgical oncology. Dr. Griffin has a special interest and extensive experience in surgical oncology.
Cancer in pets traditionally evokes thoughts of a terminal untreatable disease. However, advances in veterinary surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy allow excellent care and hope for pets with cancer. Through our team approach to cancer treatment we can achieve a cure in many patients and marked improvement in quality and quantity of life in most others. Early detection and aggressive therapy is the key. At The Regional Veterinary Referral Center we can achieve “clean margins” (complete removal of the tumor, including microscopic portions), and subsequently cure the local disease in 95% of our surgical patients.
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What are the general principles of surgical oncology?
- Pre-surgical biopsy to determine the prognosis and the surgical dose required for cure.
- Complete staging of the patient using radiography, lymph node biopsy and other imaging. We have a CT scan in house which helps us to better determine the extent of local disease.
- Aggressive surgery using the appropriate dose. Dr. Griffin and Dr. Anderson’s experience in surgical oncology allow a cure of local disease in many patients without being overly aggressive, thereby reducing post-operative complications.
- Marking and assessing surgical margins. This is the best predictor of local recurrence of the tumor and helps determine if radiation therapy or further surgery is needed. We achieve clean surgical margins in 95% of patients on which we operate.
- Radiation therapy or repeat surgery if margins are incomplete. We have a linear accelerator at our hospital for performing radiation therapy with minimal side effects.
- Chemotherapy for potential metastatic lesions. We have a medical oncologist and an internist with a special interest in oncology who can help your pet with chemotherapy if needed.
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What are some routinely performed surgical oncology procedures?
- Wide excision of feline vaccine-associated sarcomas.
- Canine soft tissue sarcoma removals.
- Limb-salvage surgery for osteosarcoma in cases that would otherwise require amputation.
- Thoracotomy for lung tumors.
- Abdominal tumor removals.
- Maxillectomy and mandibulectomy for tumors of the oral cavity.
- Perianal tumor removals.
- Skin and muscle tumor removals, including skin flap or skin graft for wound reconstruction.
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Do you offer acupuncture services?
Veterinary Medical Acupuncture is offered as an adjunct to traditional medicine. Western medical acupuncture is a therapeutic modality that involves placing needles in various locations in the body using current knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathology and the principles of evidence-based medicine. It is commonly used to treat chronic arthritic, neurologic and musculoskeletal conditions that are not being adequately treated by standard therapies such as surgery and medication. It is often used in conjunction with physical therapy for these conditions. Many other medical conditions can be treated with acupuncture as well. Each animal is examined and an acupuncture treatment plan is based on the specific abnormalities present.
