Soft Tissue Surgery Service

Soft Tissue Surgery Service

Welcome to the Soft Tissue Surgery Service at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Our board-certified faculty surgeons lead a team that also includes resident veterinarians, highly-skilled technicians and fourth-year students of the School of Veterinary Medicine. Working together with post-operative support staff and board-certified veterinary anesthetists, this team provides cutting-edge surgical procedures. Utilizing the most current surgical technology, our surgeons are leading the way in new veterinary surgeries, and forging new paths to optimal pet health.

The mission of the Soft Tissue Surgery Service includes:

• Teach veterinary students and train residents about surgical disease and treatments
• Provide the best surgical and medical care to animals with surgical conditions using evidenced based medicine
• Advance surgical practice by doing scientific research and clinical trials in our specialty

Clinical Activities and Procedures

The Soft Tissue Surgery Service offers specialized veterinary procedures: cardiothoracic, gastrointestinal, respiratory, urogenital, reconstructive surgery, and a multitude of interventional radiology techniques.

Advanced diagnostics provided:

• Computed tomography (CT scan)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Ultrasonography -Nuclear scintigraphy
• Fluoroscopy

Interventional Radiology:

IR is a specialty in veterinary medicine, being pioneered at UC Davis, that utilizes imaging modalities (eg., fluoroscopy, ultrasound, computed tomography) to perform minimally invasive procedures for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

View the IR Website

• Benign Obstructions
• Malignant Obstructions
• Non-Oncologic Vascular Procedures
• Oncologic Vascular Procedures
• Miscellaneous applications

Surgeries provided:

• GI (stomach and intestinal) surgery
• Liver surgery, including conventional and minimally-invasive surgery for congenital portosystemic shunts
• Urinary tract surgery
• Endocrine surgery
• Reproductive surgery
• Thoracic (chest) surgery
• Minimally invasive procedures
• Respiratory (lung) surgery
• Oncologic (cancer) procedures and reconstructions
• Transnare Cryoablation
• Wound repair, grafting, reconstructions

Faculty

William T. N. Culp, VMD, DACVS
Professor
Chief of Service

Peter Delisser, BVSc, PhD, DECVS
Associate Professor

Michelle Giuffrida, VMD, DACVS
Associate Professor

Philipp Mayhew, BVMS, DACVS
Professor

Michael Mison, DVM, DACVS
Professor
Associate Dean for Veterinary Medical Center Operations
Chief Veterinary Medical Officer
 

Michele A. Steffey, DVM, DACVS
Professor

House Officers

Alex Aubrecht, DVM
Resident II

Sohee Bae, DVM
Resident III

Carma Horwood, DVM
Resident II

Laura Reynolds, DVM
Resident I

Siobhan Rickert, DVM
Resident I

Jordan Wilson, DVM
Resident III

Staff

Michelle Chavez, RVT
Small Animal Surgery Services Supervisor

Robert Collins, RVT
Small Animal Surgical Services/Anesthesia Manager

Felicia Arguello, RVT

Ellen Peters, RVT

Caroline Yearian
Veterinary Technician