Soft tissue surgery

Our highly experienced soft tissue team, led by an RCVS & EBVS® European Specialist, accepts referrals in all aspects of soft tissue surgery. Soft tissue surgery in dogs and cats involves the investigation and treatment of conditions affecting the head, neck, chest, abdomen and skin (everything apart from the bones/joints and brain/spine!). The soft tissue team at Bridge Referrals work especially closely with the oncology, internal medicine, cardiology, and anaesthesia teams to ensure that our patients benefit from a truly multidisciplinary approach.

Bridge Referrals

MA BSAVA PGCertSAS VetMB DipECVS MRCVS
RCVS & EBVS European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery


Bridge Referrals

Alison Kennair
BVMS CertAVP (GSAS) MRCVS
RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery

We constantly strive to deliver the highest standards of care and compassion to our patients, and to offer the latest advances in surgical techniques. As well as practical surgery, our clinicians are also involved in teaching and research, and hold committee positions on national & international veterinary organisations. We have a dedicated team of soft tissue Registered Veterinary Nurses who are crucial in our ability to provide outstanding care for our soft tissue patients. 

We have an extensive range of on-site imaging equipment (including 24/7 CT scanning, ultrasound and fluoroscopy) and a dedicated soft tissue surgical theatre. We use the latest surgical equipment and offer minimally invasive (“keyhole”) surgery for many procedures where feasible. We try to offer as many surgeries as possible as a fixed price package, giving clients peace of mind that costs won’t change during treatment. These packages include everything from the initial consultation to the ‘sign off’ following surgery. We are committed to transparency on pricing and have published our referral pricing on our website since we opened. The full soft tissue price list can be found at:      Soft Tissue Price List

The Bridge Referrals soft tissue team investigates and treats an extensive range of surgical conditions, some of which include:

Minimally invasive/keyhole surgery*:

  • Laparoscopic ovariectomy (spey) and laparoscopic retained testicle removal
  • Laparoscopic ovarian remnant removal
  • Organ biopsies
  • Thoracoscopic subtotal pericardiectomy
  • Laparoscopic assisted gastropexy
  • Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal)
  • Percutaneous cystolithotomy (removal of bladder stones)

(* All minimally invasive procedures are offered as part of a fixed price package).

Head & neck surgery:

  • Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) surgery
  • Total ear canal ablation (TECA) and ventral bulla osteotomy (VBO) for ear disease
  • Salivary mucocoele
  • Laryngeal paralysis
  • Mandibulectomy/maxillectomy
  • Thyroid and parathyroid gland removal

Thoracic surgery:

  • Lung lobectomy, e.g. for lung tumours
  • Pericardiectomy (open and keyhole)
  • Vascular ring anomalies
  • Patent ductus arteriosus
  • Pyothorax (infection in the chest)
  • Pneumothorax (air inside the chest)
  • Chylothorax surgery
  • Diaphragm repair
  • Chest wall tumour removals

Abdominal surgery:

  • Foreign body removal
  • Gallbladder mucocoele (cholecystectomy; open or keyhole)
  • Extrahepatic portosystemic shunt surgery; including portal pressures and portography
  • Intrahepatic portosystemic shunt surgery
  • Septic peritonitis management
  • Liver lobectomy
  • Adrenalectomy
  • Urogenital and colorectal surgery
  • Ectopic ureter correction
  • Cystotomy
  • Urethrostomy
  • Nephrectomy
  • Prostatic surgery
  • Urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence,
  • Subcutaneous ureteral bypass system (SUB)
  • Perineal hernia
  • Abdominal tumour removal

Skin and reconstructive surgery:

  • Wound management
  • Skin grafts
  • Skin flaps
  • Tumour resections and reconstruction

Interventional radiology procedures:

  • Tracheal stenting
  • Urethral stenting

We are more than happy to discuss cases with primary care veterinarians, free of charge. If you are an owner who feels they would like to look into referring their pet to Bridge Referrals, please discuss the process with your primary care veterinary surgeon. 

As a pet owner, you have complete freedom of choice of the centre you are referred to. We are an independent referral centre (not owned by a corporate), one of very few in the north east, and we are very proud of this fact!