Surgery
There are many situations in which surgery is an appropriate option. These include limb problems such as cruciate ligament tears, abdominal issues including bowel obstructions or kidney stones, and large invasive cancers. Although surgery is a priority in our clinic, our backup treatments using herbs and other therapies such as rose bengal, mean that surgeries are often less radical than they might otherwise be. We have operated successfully on many animals where specialist operations were too expensive for the owners.
Some of our procedures are innovative. Ann performed surgeries in other vet clinics for over 20 years, and when she opened East West Vets, she also employed Dr Tony Mason on a regular basis to perform many intricate surgeries at the clinic. Dr Mason was a highly respected surgeon at Melbourne University, and we have learned from and adapted his experience and teaching. For example, while not being unhappy with the standard 'De Angelis' technique for cruciate surgeries, Ann was converted to Dr Mason’s cruciate technique which was based on the then current footballers cruciate repairs. This operation results in better strength and flexion than the De Angelis.
In cancer surgery, if a tumour is easily surgically removed we suggest this as a first step, although we can also trial specific herbal treatments for a time e.g., 4-6 weeks to observe the effect and tonify the bodies immunity.
We also have a specialist surgeon who will visit to perform complex surgeries like TPLO and arthroscopy when required.
All surgeries are performed in our modern highly equipped facility with full monitoring for maximum safety.