Surgery

The team at Western Branch Veterinary Hospital is experienced in performing a broad range of surgical procedures, from routine spays and neuters to advanced orthopedic procedures. More importantly, we understand that bringing a family member in for surgery can be a nerve wracking time filled with uncertainty and concern. Each one of us has been in your shoes with our own pets. That’s why we go above and beyond to instill confidence that when it comes to surgical care, you’ve got nothing to worry about with us!

From our state of the art surgical suite to our cutting edge techniques to the extra measures we take to ensure the safety and comfort of our patients, we’ll do everything within our power to make your pet’s surgery a positive and stress-free experience for you both. That’s our pledge to you.

Prior to any surgical procedure being performed, each patient is carefully screened to verify that they are healthy enough to proceed. This is especially important for pets that are older and those that suffer from existing medical conditions. Pre-surgical screening is also recommended for all surgical patients because it helps us to identify potential risk factors that are unique to your pet. We never want to place our patients at risk, so the more we prepare ahead of time, the better the chances of a smooth and uneventful procedure.

Once your pet is cleared for surgery, we will then work on developing a customized plan for pain management. Keeping your pet comfortable and pain-free while also minimizing risk is an important part of our surgery process. We use only the safest, most effective anesthetic products available and carefully tailor our approach to best meet your loved one’s unique needs. Rather than just address pain during surgery, we aim to prevent pain before it begins so that we can provide our patients with the most positive experience possible.

The day of surgery, we will welcome you and your pet, taking the time to explain what to expect, answer your questions and get your loved one settled in and comfortable. The more relaxed and at ease your pet is, the better the surgical process will go. Once settled, we will begin administering an individually tailored protocol designed to induce anesthesia both safely and comfortably.

When surgery begins, the doctor will work to complete your pet’s procedure as efficiently as possible. While we never rush through surgery, we do make an effort to minimize the amount of time your pet will remain anesthetized, which in turn reduces the risks associated with all anesthetic procedures. Our experienced technicians will remain on hand throughout the procedure to assist with surgery and closely monitor your pet’s wellbeing at all times.

Once surgery is complete, we will gently relocate your loved one to our hospital recovery area, where monitoring will continue as the anesthesia begins to wear off. A member of our team will reach out to you to explain how the procedure went, discuss any noteworthy findings and arrange a pick up time. Before bringing your pet home, we will spend some time going over our aftercare instructions, which may include an appropriate plan for managing your pet’s pain during the recovery process.

Bringing a family member in for surgery can be a stressful experience – whether that loved one happens to have two legs or four. The team at Western Branch Veterinary Hospital wants to set your mind at ease. Rest assured that when you entrust your most cherished companion to us for surgical care, he or she will be in caring, capable hands!