Surgical Oncology Slideshow

Surgical Oncology at the Animal Cancer & Imaging Center

The surgical oncology team at the Animal Cancer & Imaging Center (ACIC) consists of:

Richard Walshaw, BVMS, Diplomate ACVS:
After a long career as Professor of Small Animal Surgery at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University and at the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Dr. Walshaw left the academic arena to join ACIC in June, 2007.
Dr. Walshaw has been a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons since 1980 and is a member of the Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology.

Susan Holland, LVT, VTS (Anesthesia):
Susan is a 1986 graduate of the Macomb Community College Veterinary Technician program.  She is a member of the Academy of Veterinary Technician Anesthetists (AVTA) since 2004, a member of the AVTA Credentialing Committee for 2008 and 2009.  She brings over 15 years of specialty medicine experience to ACIC. 

Taylor Epp, BS, LVT:
Taylor attended Michigan State University and graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine with a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Veterinary Technology, sat for the Michigan and National veterinary technology board examinations and is a licensed veterinary technologist. After graduation Taylor traveled to Kentucky to work in an AAHA accredited high volume small animal practice before returning to Michigan to work at The Animal Cancer and Imaging Center.  

Why should I refer my client and their pet who has cancer / Why should I take my pet who has cancer to the surgical oncology team at ACIC?

• The expertise of the members of the surgical team:
• Dr. Walshaw has been practicing surgical oncology for over 30 years.  During his surgical residency program at the University of Pennsylvania he trained with one of the fathers of veterinary surgical oncology, Dr. Brody.  From that point on his main interest in the field of soft tissue surgery has been oncologic surgery.  Along with this has been a strong emphasis on reconstructive surgery.  In 1980 Dr. Walshaw became a Diplomate of the American college of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS).

What is an ACVS Diplomate?
The term "ACVS Diplomate" refers to a veterinarian who has been board certified in veterinary surgery. Only veterinarians who have successfully completed the certification requirements of the ACVS are Diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and have earned the right to be called specialists in veterinary surgery.                          

Veterinarians wishing to become board certified must complete a three-year residency program, meet specific training and caseload requirements, perform research and have their research published. This process is supervised by current ACVS Diplomates, ensuring consistency in training and adherence to high standards. Once the residency has been completed, the resident must sit for and pass a rigorous examination. Only then does the veterinarian earn the title of ACVS Diplomate.

Why is it important to have an ACVS Diplomate as part of your pet’s health care team?
The Animal Care Team is made up of the owner (client), the general practice veterinarian and the ACVS specialist. Rapid advances in the veterinary profession can make it difficult for veterinarians to remain current with recent developments in techniques and technologies required to manage some of today's complex surgical problems. Possessing the training, expertise and equipment to perform the most demanding procedures, the ACVS Diplomate can help the primary care veterinarian provide the best possible care to the patient.

Difficult cases may be best managed by a specialist. When a referral is indicated, the primary care practitioner should discuss this process with the client. Clients routinely deal with specialists in human healthcare and are familiar with the concept of specialization and the referral process. Owners appreciate referrals for specialized surgical care. Many ACVS Diplomates in private practice work at "referral-only" animal hospitals. Such practices require that the primary care veterinarian contact them rather than the animal owner. In this way, the surgical specialist can be properly informed as to the patient's history and the scope of the current problem.

Once the referral is made, the ACVS Diplomate will provide state-of-the-art surgical patient care. As part of the healthcare team, the surgeon will keep the referring veterinarian and client informed of the patient's progress throughout the specialized care. After patient discharge, the referring veterinarian may also provide additional postoperative follow-up care. This continuity between surgical specialist and primary care veterinarian ensures the best possible outcome for the patient.

Dr. Walshaw is also a member of the Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology.  This society was established to bring together ACVS Diplomates who have a longstanding interest in and / or have had advanced training in the filed of surgical oncology.  The surgeon plays a central role in the prevention, diagnosis and definitive treatment of neoplastic disease and in the palliation and rehabilitation of cancer patients.  Compared to a general surgeon, a surgical oncologist has training and current knowledge of tumor biology and, importantly, the role of surgery in the multimodality of cancer patients.  Because surgical oncologists treat a greater volume of cancer patients and have more experience in the management of both rare and common cancers, the outcome for patients treated by surgical oncologists are typically significantly better than for those treated by general surgeons.

• Susan Holland’s interest in anesthesia was the driving force for her to pursue continuing education and specialty certification.  Only technicians who have successfully completed the certification requirements of the AVTA and passed a rigorous board examination have earned the right to be called Veterinary Technician Specialists in Anesthesia (VTS, Anesthesia).  The technician who is certified as a VTS, Anesthesia demonstrates superior knowledge in the care and management of anesthesia cases.

• Taylor Epp has been in the veterinary profession for over 10 years, working in general practice, physical rehabilitation and now oncology. Taylor began her career working in high volume general practices in Michigan as well as Lexington, Kentucky. She worked at Michigan State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital in the Advanced Rehabilitation Center for Animals with an emphasis in post-operative physical rehabilitation. Working along side the orthopedic and soft tissue surgery department, Taylor expanded her knowledge of the needs specific to a patient recovering from surgery.   Taylor began working with The Animal Cancer & Imaging Center in 2007 and has trained in the medical and surgical oncology services.   She has also set up the ACIC Blood Bank, organizing donor pets and protocols for our transfusion medicine service. 

• Debbie Fisher has been involved in the veterinary profession in many different ways over the years. She started as a volunteer at humane societies  in Chicago and working at general practices when she began working towards her degree in veterinary technology. She was accepted to Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s competitive four-year veterinary technology program, where she was trained along side veterinary students in clinical rotations such as surgery, anesthesia, internal medicine, and critical care. She completed clinical externships with Pfizer and the MSU Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health. She also completed a clinical rotation in oncology at the Animal Cancer & Imaging Center, where she was trained in the medical and surgical oncology services.

• The advanced care that the patient will receive from members of the surgical team.

• Anesthesia and Analgesia (Pain Control):

Pain management protocols are tailor made to suit each individual patient. Protocols may include pre-emptive analgesia to control pain before surgery begins, local anesthesia, long term pain patches, epidural anesthesia including epidural catheters for continuous pain control and CRI (constant rate infusion) of intravenous pain medication. 

• Perioperative care:

While your pet is in the ACIC hospital for surgery, there are many services that we provide to ensure the best possible care for your pet.   Some pets may benefit from starting preoperative medications when they are admitted into the hospital.  This is especially important if they have preexisting medical conditions such as a heart or kidney disease, and it can also be helpful in patients that are anxious due to stress or pain.  In addition, beginning preoperative intravenous fluids can be beneficial in older patients and those who may be dehydrated due to disease.

During surgery, patients are monitored using advanced monitoring equipment that includes: EKG, blood pressure, temperature, pulse, respiratory rate, and capnography, which monitors breathing.  We also use a ventilator during surgery to ensure optimal breathing while your pet is under anesthesia.   A warm air blanket may be used to keep your pet warm during and after surgery, preventing complications cause by hypothermia.    
The ACIC surgical team strives to provide your pet with the best care while they are in our hospital.

• 24 hour postoperative nursing care:

Postoperative patients are managed by a patient care technician that is trained to provide the intensive care necessary for any postoperative patient. The postoperative period is a critical time in facilitating the patient’s recovery. The surgical team is committed to advanced quality pain control both during and after your pet’s surgery. The ACIC also has an in-house blood bank for any patient that may require a blood or plasma transfusion while in the hospital. We strive to provide high quality health care with an exceptional bedside manner.

• Follow-up evaluations and continued cancer treatment at ACIC.

• Follow-up after surgical resection of the patients cancer:

All of our surgical cancer patients are carefully and routinely followed after they are discharged from the hospital either solely at ACIC or with the assistance of the referring veterinarian.  Re-examinations are scheduled as needed depending on the type of cancer the patient had, the surgical procedure performed, whether the patient has a bandage that needs to be changed and what adjunctive treatment is planned in addition to surgery to treat the cancer.

Members of the surgical team are always available to answer any questions or concerns that the owner may have about their pet.  Owners are, however, routinely contacted 2 – 3 days after the pet had surgery to make sure that there are no immediate concerns.

Owners are also contacted as soon as possible with the biopsy results (usually within 3 – 5 days).  At that time Dr. Walshaw will discuss with them the diagnosis, prognosis and what follow-up is indicated.

• Referral to other oncologic specialty services within ACIC.

ACIC offers a complete range of established cancer treatment options for pets.  As far as the surgical oncology patient is concerned the treatment modalities that are most often used in combination with surgery are:

• Radiation Therapy:

Radiation therapy is used to treat localized cancer in 2 situations:

• As an adjunct to surgical resection when the surgery alone cannot completely remove all the cancer and therefore by itself, cure the patient.
• As a sole means of treating a cancer that cannot be surgical removed due to its location on the body.
• Medical Oncology / Chemotherapy:

Chemotherapy is used in conjunction with surgical removal of the cancer when there is a known high risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body.  Generally chemotherapy is started as soon as possible after the surgery, often while the patient is recovering in the hospital, if the diagnosis is already known.  If not, then it is begun as soon as a final diagnosis is obtained.

The goal of the Surgery Department at the Animal Cancer and Imaging Center is to provide the highest quality of care available for surgical patients.  We strive to give every patient comprehensive anesthetic, surgical, and postoperative care and to do so in an atmosphere of excellence and compassion.  As part of ACIC, a strong focus of our surgical department is surgical oncology.   Peri-operative pain management is a critical focus for the surgical team at ACIC.