Yes, when time permits I can do that. Send me an email and we can discuss it further.

There are several types of continuing education in surgery. The most common is a so-called Certificate, which some vets pursue alongside their job as a small animal vet. This consists of several compulsory courses, a sufficient number of different surgeries, and final exams. You can also take continuing education courses in surgery without having to sit any final exams, and in that way achieve strong professional competencies. Many veterinarians with additional training work with more than just surgery and do not need to be recertified to retain their certificate.

An EBVS-specialist in small animal surgery, a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary surgeons, has undergone a residency and spent a minimum of three to four years full-time training and immersion in the subject, and then passed three very demanding exams. After this, the specialist must be recertified every five years to retain his specialist title. Strict criteria must be met, including a high degree of participation in courses and conferences as well as contributions to continuing education for other veterinarians, as well as research - in addition to having performed a large number of specialist procedures each year. Hence, you can be certain that an EBVS-approved specialist/Diplomate carries state-of-the-art-knowledge, and the vast majority of specialists only work in their field of specialty. You can find more information about this education under the next question.  

First, you have to become a veterinary surgein, and most people have to spend a few years in general practice before they get an internship, which is a training period over 12-18 months. This can either be rotating and consist of work with outpatient clinics, internal medicine, and surgery, or be a specialized internship where you only work with surgery. You can then apply for a residency in surgery, and this is usually three or four years of training. During these years one must undertake work-up and diagnostics of surgical diseases in dogs and cats, and also perform a large number of specialist surgery under the guidance of a Diplomate (specialist). You also need to undertake externships in radiology, anaesthesia, internal medicine, and pathology, and lecture at international conferences, as well as publish two scientific papers before you can apply to have your credentials evaluated in order to sit the exam.
The exam is held once a year and consists of three parts; one case-based; one practical and one comprehensive multiple-choice exam. It is expected that the candidates have a thorough knowledge of the last five years of research in the small animal surgery, in addition to a very extensive syllabus. The failure rate is high.
In other words, you can be certain that a Diplomate in surgery knows their subject!

A PhD is an education in research, usually over the course of three or four years, where you plan, carry out, analyze and report your own research in the form of a comprehensive doctoral thesis. The thesis is in turn reviewed by experts in the field and must be defended during a public defense, where the research is both presented and scrutinized. During a PhD education programme, you also must complete a large number of courses and learn basic research methodology and statistics, and it is highly independent work. In other words, a doctoral degree is a training programme in research, and it gives the candidate a thorough insight into how to carry out good research. It also provides useful insight into what constitutes good and bad research. In my daily work, this background is really important to me, primarily because I work part-time as a researcher, but also because it has given me the necessary knowledge to be able to scrutinize scientific papers. I like to make sure I stay up to date at all times, and with my PhD I gained the skills to decode research papers, as well as assess whether the research is trustworthy, or whether the quality is inferior to a degree that it is not applicable to the clinical situation.

It is difficult to find your way in the veterinary market and to know who knows what, and how long experience the person has. If you refer a patient to a Diplomate/EBVS-recognized specialist, you have a guarantee that the vet has the necessary and up-to-date competencies. Not all surgical conditions require a specialist for treatment, but feel free to ask your veterinarian, or the surgeon who is performing surgery on your pet what kind of experience and expertise they have. If you are uncertain as to what would be the best treatment for an animal, you can submit a case on this page and receive a comprehensive case report. You can also request a telephone consultation.
The surgical field is a vast one, and new advances are constantly being presented – however, not everything is thoroughly tested or can boast good scientific evidence. I will do my best to answer any questions you may have!

No. Sometimes it is better for nature to sort itself out than for us surgeons to try. An old saying goes that a good surgeon knows HOW to operate, a better surgeon knows WHEN to operate, but the best surgeon knows when NOT to operate. Choosing the right patient for the right procedure is crucial for a good result. This can sometimes be a difficult consideration, and it is a choice that should be based both on good knowledge of the issue and preferably broad experience. That way we ensure that treatment is tailored to the individual patient and gives the most favorable prognosis. If you are uncertain, ask for a second opinion with a specialist!

Yes. I am very happy to refer back to the primary vet for follow-up in those cases where I believe this is justified. Many people travel far to have their animal assessed or operated, and sometimes it is a better and more practical solution for all parties that follow-up takes place at the referring vet’s. In these cases, I provide a detailed plan when I send a patient home, and I am also available should the owner or referring vet have questions regarding the convalescence period.