Services We Provide

At VSC of NYC, we offer surgical care and consultations by appointment. While we are well equipped and trained to handle a wide range of surgical cases, pets that are very sick or severely injured should be treated at a critical care facility.

What to Expect in a Consultation

First and foremost, we get to know the pet and their owner. We discuss the pet’s condition, gather their medical history, review the results of any tests, and discuss any concerns or questions the owner might have. We then go over treatment options (surgical and non-surgical) and provide estimations of prognosis and cost. Our goal is to empower pet owners to make decisions with confidence and peace of mind.

Preparing for Surgery

All patients undergoing surgery will have a pre-operative examination, preoperative blood work with review,  pre- and post-operative imaging (if appropriate), and a tailored surgical and anesthesia plan. We provide only the best perioperative care, ensuring each patient is as comfortable as possible. At every stage, we provide pet owners with up-to-date, honest, and realistic information about their pet’s condition.

Overnight Care

For pets who would benefit from overnight care before going home, we partner with Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) on 2nd Avenue. This 24-hour care  facility provides round-the-clock pain medications, monitoring, and treatments. We arrange escorted transport of the patient to VEG, who will notify  owners of their pet’s arrival and of the medical plan.

Surgical Services

Soft Tissue Surgery

At VSC of NYC, we offer an extensive variety of soft tissue surgeries involving many body systems. Below are some commonly performed procedures.

Airway surgery

- Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS)
  - A variety of surgical procedures can be performed to improve airflow and comfort in brachycephalic dogs (affectionately called ‘smoosh faced’ breeds).
- ‘Tieback’
  - Laryngeal paralysis is a malfunction of the muscles that open the airway. An early symptom of this condition is often noisy breathing, but it can also lead to a fully obstructed airway and even suffocation. Our go-to treatment for this condition is the tieback procedure, in which we permanently pull the airway open on one side of the larynx.
- Soft palate repair

Abdominal surgery

- Gastrointestinal system
  - Foreign body removal
  - Tumor removal
  - Megacolon
    - This is a condition commonly seen in cats, in which the large colon is repeatedly constipated. A subtotal colectomy (removal of the majority of the colon) can give affected cats relief from repeated fecal obstruction.
  - Gastric dilatation +/- volvulus

Urogenital systems (urinary and reproductive)

- Ovariohysterectomy (spay)
  - Removal of the ovaries and uterus. We use the Ligasure® vessel sealing device to reduce potential life threatening complications and shorten surgery and anesthesia times.
- Abdominal cryptorchid (retained testicle) neuter
- Neuter
- Hysterotomy (C-section)
- Bladder stone removal (cystotomy)
- Perineal urethrostomy/scrotal urethrotomy
  - This surgical procedure opens the urethra to correct various forms of urethral obstruction, which can be life-threatening.

Other

- Splenectomy
- Gallbladder removal
- Biopsies: liver, intestinal, lymph nodes, prostate
- Hernia repair
  - Hernias occur when organs or tissues protrude through a weakened area in the body wall (e.g. umbilicus, perineum) or internally (e.g diaphragm). Hernia repair surgery may involve various techniques such as sutures, mesh placement, or tissue reconstruction to close the hernia and prevent recurrence.
- Anal sac removal

Eye and ear procedures

- We perform a range of procedures involving the eye including surgery for Cherry eye, entropion, eyelid mass removal and enucleation. We perform surgeries involving the ear and ear canal including TECA, bulla osteotomy, and mass removal.

Oncology surgery

- Skin and soft tissue tumor removal

Orthopedic Surgery

At VSC of NYC, we offer a variety of orthopedic procedures. In most cases, we will complete a consultation and obtain calibrated x-rays before booking surgery. Below are some commonly performed procedures.

Knee Surgery

- Cruciate ligament repair
  - A torn cruciate ligament is a very common cause of knee pain and lameness in dogs. We offer several techniques for stabilization of the knee, including:
    - Lateral suture (fabello-tibial suture). This technique is typically reserved for small breed dogs as a method to stabilize the knee.
    - Tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), in which we change the angle of the tibial plateau so that the damaged ligament is no longer needed.
- Patella luxation (slipping kneecap) repair
  - A luxating patella is a common cause of lameness, especially among smaller dog breeds. Several techniques are available to improve contact between the patella (kneecap) and the femur, including deepening the groove of the end of the femur, releasing soft tissues that are placing excessive strain on the patella, tightening the soft tissue that holds the patella in place, and adjusting the insertion point of the patellar tendon on the tibial crest.
- Torn meniscus

Femoral head ostectomy (FHO)

- This procedure can provide pain relief for select dogs and cats with fractures through the femoral head and neck and in patients with severe osteoarthritis of the hip joint. This involves removal or the femoral head/neck from the hip joint, which stops an unstable fracture or arthritic bone from causing pain.

Fracture repair

- We provide internal fixation (plates, screws, wires) for a variety of fractures. There are some fractures that we do not repair that require special post-operative care (e.g., spine).

Limb/tail amputation

- In some cases, a severe injury or tumor requires amputation of a limb or tail to save the pet’s life. We also perform limb-sparing procedures when concurrent conditions or concerns prevent amputation.