Page 7 - Clinical Connections - Autumn 2025

Cardiothoracic Surgery

The team from Japan returned periodically cases to where we were before COVID
over the next four years and operated on struck but we still have a long waiting list.
six dogs at the RVC. Having observed the We aspire to increase our capacity, planning
surgeons from Japan over the years, the to double the number of operations we can
RVC team did its first mitral valve repair perform each year.
independently in 2015.
In 2017, the team’s progress was
supported by the addition of a Cardiothoracic
Surgery Fellow, a Perfusion Fellow and
two veterinary nurses dedicated to the
programme.
Dan Brockman with patient Mabel, who had By this time, the team had treated several
pioneering stenotic tricuspid valve surgery, in
2016 very sick dogs that recovered extremely
well. By the end of 2018 we were doing two
The leading surgeons for veterinary operations a week. In 2020 COVID hit and
mitral valve surgery were based in Japan it was more than a year before we could
and Professor Brockman knew them from resume cases. A significant development at
international meetings. A team from Japan that point was Matteo Rossanese, from the Theia, who was recently treated for an
visited the RVC in 2012 and successfully Soft Tissue Surgery Service, coming to work atrioventricular septal defect
operated on Heidi, a Jack Russell, with Dan with us.
Brockman assisting. We gradually increased the number of

For small animal referrals, please call:
01707 666399
Email:
qmhreception@rvc.ac.uk
2016
Surgery on a dog called Mabel, 2020 to 2021
to treat a stenotic tricuspid valve, In 2020 the service paused due the COVID pandemic
was carried out at the RVC. and was resumed in the second half of 2021.
It is the first reported case globally
of such a procedure being Matteo Rossanese joined the RVC, working within the Soft Tissue Surgery
successfully performed on a dog. Service. He subsequently joined the Cardiothoracic Surgery team.

2012 to 2015 2017 to 2019 2024 to 2025
Between 2012 and 2015 a surgical team The team was enhanced by a Cardiothoracic Members of our team visited the
from Japan visited the RVC to operate Surgery Fellow, a Perfusion Fellow and two Jasmine Clinic in Japan, which
on dogs with mitral valve disease. veterinary nurses. currently performs up to 40 mitral
valve repairs each month, to explore
In 2015 The RVC team did its first After successfully treating several dogs that ways in which we could significantly
mitral valve repair without support from recovered well, the team was able to significantly increase our caseload.
surgeons from Japan. increase our caseload to treat two dogs each week.

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