Surgery

WVRC represents the leading edge of research and technology in small animal surgery.

Under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Meinen, DACVS, and Dr. Connie Hurley, DVM Practice Limited to Surgery, we offer experienced, specialized surgical care employing state-of-the-art surgical equipment to treat various soft tissue, orthopedic and neurological diseases, with an emphasis on canine hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate injuries.

Dr. Meinen and Dr. Hurley are available for consultations with your primary veterinarian Monday through Friday. Referral appointments for your pet can be made by calling the Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center.

Procedures:

Radiographic procedures, including plane radiography, contrast studies (i.e. arthrography, myelography, etc.) and PennHip evaluations.
Complete orthopedic and neurologic evaluations, including arthrocentesis and cerebrospinal fluid collection.
Orthopedic procedures, such as Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO), Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA) and Extracapsular Stabilization for Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) injuries, Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO), Femoral Head & Neck Excision (FHNE) and Femoral Head Osteotomy (FHO) for hip dysplasia; and bone plating and external fixation for fracture repair.
Soft tissue procedures involving ears, upper respiratory, thoracic, cardiovascular, abdominal, urogenital and skin grafting including procedures to correct Laryngeal Paralysis.
Neurological procedures to repair (Herniated Discs) such as hemilaminectomies or ventral slots for thoracolumbar or cervical disc disease, respectively.
Arthroscopy, for diagnosis and treatment of joint conditions such as Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD), Cranial Cruciate Ligament injury (CCL) and evaluation of cartilage health before Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO).

Surgeons:
Dr. Jeffrey Meinen, DVM, DACVS
Dr. Connie Hurley, DVM, Practice Limited to Surgery

What types of procedures does a Board-certified Surgeon do?
Many of the procedures that are performed by a surgeon do not involve surgery. They include radiographic contrast studies of the spine (myelogram), cerebral spinal fluid collection, neurologic evaluations and joint fluid collection and evaluation (arthroscopy).

The surgical procedures that are done routinely by our surgeons include TPLO’s, soft tissue procedures, spinal surgery, skin grafting and fracture repairs.

Can I set up an appointment to have a boarded surgeon spay / neuter my pet?
Typically the surgeons at WVRC work only on specialized and orthopedic cases. Preventative medical care and elective procedures such as spays and neuters are referred to your primary veterinarian.

Evaluating Orthopedic Injuries
If you think your pet has an orthopedic injury, scheduling a consult appointment with a board-certified surgeon at the Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center is the first step for diagnosing and treating the injury. During the initial consult, the surgeon will examine your pet and discuss different options that would be best for you and your pet. The type of injuries listed above are not considered “emergencies” and availability for a consult appointment is generally 1-2 weeks. While waiting to see the surgeon, we recommend restricting activity and speaking with your regular veterinarian about pain management to help keep your pet comfortable.