4176 Meridian Street

Bellingham, WA 98226

(360) 758-2200

24/7 Emergency Care​

Veterinary Surgical Services

Trust our board-certified veterinary surgeons to provide advanced veterinary surgery services that are customized to your pet’s needs.

Need a referral to Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital?

Our Veterinary Surgical Services

At Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital, our aim with veterinary surgery is to restore your beloved dog or cat to a quality of life where they enjoy their favorite activities again. Because it’s those precious moments together that truly matter.

AIRWAY AND RESPIRATORY PROCEDURES:

  • Long Soft Palate Surgery
    • Shortens an overly long soft palate to improve breathing in dogs with airway obstructions.
  • Unilateral Arytenoid Lateralization (Tie-Back Surgery)
    • Improves airflow for dogs with laryngeal paralysis (a disease that makes it hard for dogs to breathe) by creating a wider airway in the larynx.

EAR AND NASAL PROCEDURES:

  • Mandibulectomy / Maxillectomy / Orbitectomy:
    • Removes tumors from the jaw, mouth, or eye socket to improve comfort and quality of life.
  • Nasal Planum Resection and Reconstruction (for nasal squamous cell carcinoma)
    • Removes and reconstructs the nose for cancers like squamous cell carcinoma.
  • Total Ear Canal Ablation (TECA-LBO)
    • Removes the ear canal for severe, chronic, or end stage ear infections or tumors.
  • Ventral Bulla Osteotomy (VBO)
    • Treats middle ear diseases or polyps (growths) in cats.
GLAND PROCEDURES:
 
  • Parathyroidectomy (for primary hyperparathyroidism with hypercalcemia):
    • Removes overactive parathyroid glands causing high calcium levels in the blood.
  • Sialadenectomy (for Sialocele aka Mucocele):
    • Removes affected salivary glands to treat swelling or fluid buildup caused by a mucocele.
  • Thyroidectomy (thyroid tumors):
    • Removes tumors from the thyroid gland to improve health.
  • Body Wall Resection (e.g. for rib tumor)
    • Removal of tumors affecting the ribs or surrounding tissues to improve health.
  • Cardiac Procedures (PDA (if too small for Amplatz), PRAA, MPA Banding (for VSD palliation):
    • These surgeries treat congenital heart defects or provide palliative care for certain heart conditions.
  • Diaphragmatic Hernia Repair (including pericardioperitoneal diaphragmatic hernia or traumatic):
    • Fixes openings or tears in the diaphragm to restore proper breathing and organ placement.
  • Lung Lobectomy (for pulmonary carcinoma or other lung tumor, lung abscess, etc):
    • Removes diseased parts of the lung due to tumors, infections, or injuries.
  • Spontaneous Pneumothorax, Chylothorax, or Pyothorax Management:
    • Treats air, fluid, or infection in the chest to improve breathing and lung function.
  • Thymoma:
    • Removes a tumor from the Thymus gland, located in the chest, that is part of the immune system.
  • Tracheal Rings: 
    • Reinforcement rings used in younger dogs to stabilize a collapsing trachea.
  • Tracheal Stent: 
    • A supportive implant to keep the airway open in dogs with collapsing trachea or tumors.

DIGESTIVE & ABDOMINAL PROCEDURES

  • Adrenalectomy
    • Removal of tumors from the adrenal glands (located above the kidneys).
  • Anal Sacculectomy
    • Removal of anal glands, often due to cancer (like anal sac adenocarcinoma) or recurring infections.
  • Caudectomy 
    • Tail removal surgery, typically for conditions like “screwtail.”
  • Cholecystectomy
    • Removes the gall bladder for conditions like mucocele.
  • Common Bile Duct Stenting
    • Placement of a stent in the bile duct to relieve blockages.
  • Cystotomy 
    • Removal of bladder stones that cause pain, infection, or blockages.
  • Enterotomy
    • Removal of foreign objects from the intestines that cause blockages or injuries.
  • Gastrectomy
    • Removal of stomach tumors.
  • Gastrointestinal Biopsies
    • Full-thickness tissue samples taken from the digestive tract to diagnose chronic diseases like IBD or lymphoma. Can be done laparoscopically.
  • Gastropexy 
    • Surgery to attach the stomach to the abdominal wall, preventing it from twisting (gastric torsion or bloat).
  • Gastrotomy
    • Removal of foreign bodies from the stomach.
  • Herniorrhaphy
    • Surgery to repair hernias (e.g., perineal, inguinal, or umbilical) where organs or tissue push through weak spots in the muscle.
  • Intestinal Resection and Anastomosis
    • Removal of damaged or diseased sections of intestines, often due to tumors or blockages.
  • Liver Biopsy
    • Collection of liver tissue for diagnosis, such as for copper storage disease or cancer. Often done laparoscopically.
  • Liver Lobectomy
    • Removal of liver tumors, such as hepatocellular carcinoma or cystadenoma.
  • Nephrectomy or Nephroureterectomy 
    • Removal of one or both kidneys or the ureter (the tube connecting the kidneys to the bladder).
  • Pancreatectomy, Partial
    • Partial removal of the pancreas, typically to treat insulin-producing tumors (insulinomas) that cause dangerous blood sugar drops.
  • Perineal Hernia Repair
    • Surgery to repair a hernia near the rectum.
  • Rectal Mass Resection
    • Removal of rectal tumors.
  • Subtotal Colectomy
    • Removal of part of the colon to treat severe constipation (megacolon).
  • Splenectomy
    • Removal of the spleen, typically due to cancer or other diseases.
  •  Urethral ± Ureteral Stenting
    • Placement of a stent to relieve urinary obstructions, often due to cancer.
  •  Urolithiasis
    • Removal of urinary stones that cause pain or blockage.

URINARY & REPRODUCTIVE PROCEDURES

  • Artificial Urethral Sphincter Placement
    • Surgery to improve bladder control and treat urinary incontinence.
  • Extrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Attenuation
    • Corrects abnormal blood flow in the liver to improve overall health.
  • Mastectomy
    • Removal of mammary tumors to prevent the spread of cancer.
  • Prescrotal Urethrostomy
    • Surgery to create a new urinary opening, typically performed on male pets with blocked urethras.
  • Perineal Urethrostomy
    • Surgery to create a new urinary opening, often in male cats with urinary obstructions.
  • Sealed Partial Cystectomy
    • Removal of bladder tumors while preserving bladder function.
  • Subcutaneous Ureteral Bypass or Ureteral Reimplantation
    • Surgery to restore normal urinary flow in cats with blocked ureters.
  • Corrective Osteotomy:
    • Bone realignment surgery to correct deformities and improve mobility.
  • Patella Groove Replacement (PGR): 
    • Surgery to replace the groove where the kneecap moves, helping to restore normal knee function.
  • Soft Tissue Imbrication / Release:
    • Adjusts the soft tissues around joints to improve stability or range of motion.
  • Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO):  
    • Surgery to stabilize the knee joint after an ACL tear by reshaping the tibia.
  • Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA): 
    • A precise procedure that repositions the tibia to stabilize the knee joint, promoting efficient recovery and long-term mobility.
  • Tibial Tuberosity Transposition (TTT):
    • Surgery that adjusts the bone position in the knee to improve alignment and fix kneecap dislocation.
  • Trochleoplasty:
    • Surgery to deepen the knee groove, preventing kneecap dislocation.
  • AO ASIF Synthes
    • A state-of-the-art system for fixing bone fractures with precision tools and implants.
  • Kyon Advanced Locking Plate System (ALPS)
    • Advanced bone plating system used to repair fractures and stabilize bones.
  • Amputation (for tumors, e.g. osteosarcoma; or non-salvageable trauma):
    • Removes a limb affected by severe trauma or tumors, like osteosarcoma, to improve the pet’s quality of life.
  • Hemipelvectomy (for tumors involving the ilium, ischium, pubis, or anywhere in the pelvis):
    • Removes part of the pelvis to treat tumors while preserving mobility.
  • Limb-spare for distal radius osteosarcoma:
    • Preserves the limb while removing cancer, typically for bone tumors like distal radius osteosarcoma.
  • Proximal Abducting Ulnar Osteotomy (PAUL) technique for elbow dysplasia:
    • A technique to relieve elbow pain and improve mobility in dogs with elbow dysplasia (a condition related to the abnormal development of the elbow joint).
  • Axial pattern flap wound management
    • Specialized skin grafts to cover large wounds and restore function.
  • Traumatic wound management and reconstruction
    • Repairs severe wounds, often using advanced techniques for optimal healing.

Our Veterinary Surgery Team

Dr. Geoffrey
Hutchinson

DVM, MS, DACVS

Board-Certified Surgeon

Dr. Milan
Milovancev

DVM, DACVS-SA

Board-Certified Surgeon

Contact BBVSH Bellingham

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If you have an emergency, please call 360-758-2200.