Veterinarian Surgery Austin

Surgery & Orthopedics

SATURDAY APPOINTMENT TIMES NOW AVAILABLE!

Austin Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center treats a wide variety of orthopedic, soft tissue, and neurologic conditions. AVES is staffed by board-certified veterinary surgeons that specialize in state-of-the-art surgical treatment for your pet. We practice progressive medicine while never compromising on care. We are always available to consult with your primary care veterinarian about your pet’s diagnosis, treatment and ongoing plan for care.

Orthopedic surgery encompasses a wide range of joint and bone surgery. One of the more exciting and innovative aspects of orthopedic surgery is the ability to perform arthroscopy. Just as with people, arthroscopy allows us to visualize your pet’s joints with small cameras. Because of the smaller incision, your pet can go home sooner and be more comfortable. In addition, the high-definition camera gives a better view of the joint than the naked eye so that no abnormalities are missed. Treatment of cruciate and meniscal tears as well as elbow dysplasia are commonly performed with arthroscopy allowing for only 2 – 4mm (1/4 inch) skin incisions.

In addition to joint disease, orthopedic surgery also focuses on treatment of fractured bones that are oftentimes a result of trauma. Using specialized bone plates, external fixators, we repair all forelimb, hindlimb and pelvic fractures.

At AVES, we also have the ability to perform total joint replacement surgeries such as total hip replacements (THR) and total elbow replacements (TER.) These advanced procedures are typically performed in severe osteoarthritic patients.

Soft tissue surgery includes a variety of surgical treatments from foreign body removal to hernia repair to organ biopsies. We work with traumatic wounds (from dog fights to animals hit by car) as well as oncologic surgery (including mass removals and amputations). Your pet’s comfort and welfare are always paramount and we treat each pet as if they were our own. We even have the capability to perform Minimally Invasive Surgery in select cases. Just as with arthroscopy (see above), we can use small cameras and instruments in chest and abdominal surgeries to perform some surgeries.

Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is an exciting facet of surgery that allows for less pain and faster return to comfort for your pet. For MIS, 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.

Laproscopy

‘Laparoscopy’ involves surgery with a small camera and scope placed in the abdomen. Laparoscopic surgeries include ovariectomy and liver biopsies.

Laproscopy-Assisted Surgery

‘Laparoscopy-assisted surgery’ allows for small incisions into the abdominal wall (2-3 inches) to provide for easier access to abdominal organs without performing a full open approach. Laparoscopy-assisted surgeries include gastropexies (attachment of the stomach to the body wall for prevention of gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV or ‘twisted stomach’) and ovariohysterectomies (spays).

Thorascopy

‘Thoracoscopy’ is like laparoscopy but allows for visualization and manipulation of organs in the chest. Thoracoscopic surgeries include biopsies of the lung and removal of the pericardium (sac surrounding the heart).

Arthroscopy

‘Arthroscopy’ utilizes a camera in joints with small portals for placement of instruments. Athroscopy can be used for treatment of ACL and meniscal tears as well as elbow dysplasia. For additional questions about what surgeries we can perform and how our surgeons can better serve you, please speak to your referring veterinarian or call
512-343-2837 for more information.

Surgeons

• Dr. Hulse

  Surgery

• Dr. Kalis

  Surgery

• Dr. Breiteneicher

  Surgery

Testimonials

Department Information

Our Surgery & Orthopedics service is open Monday-Saturday, 8 am – 6 pm. Please contact our office at 512-343-2837 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

FAQs