Specialisms
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Team
The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery team (OMFS) at Eastcott is one of the most skilled and experienced in Europe. We are the only centre in Europe with an American College of Veterinary Surgeons Fellowship program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, a post specialist qualification indicating the highest level of knowledge and skill in the field.
Jaw fractures account for approximately 5% of all fractures in dogs and cats and often provide a challenge which is difficult to tackle using commonly available conventional orthopaedic techniques. The OMFS team have a wide range of techniques at their disposal to manage even the most challenging cases, including both conservative intra-oral wire and acrylic splints and surgical internal rigid fixation using mini and micro-plating techniques. The Eastcott DOMS team have worked alongside Liverpool University in research and development of new implants for the fixation of fractures of the back part of a cat’s mandible.
We pride ourselves in the high level of inter-disciplinary teamwork at Eastcott. Our dedicated Emergency and Critical Care, Ophthalmology, Neurology and DOMS teams commonly work together on the most serious of head trauma cases and we are one of very few centres with availability to all of these disciplines under one roof.
Treatment of oral neoplasia (cancers) has specific challenges in cats and dogs. The anatomy of the oral and maxillofacial region is complex making large resections difficult. Commonly occurring malignant tumours, such as melanomas, fibrosarcomas and squamous cell carcinomas in dogs and squamous cell carcinomas in cats, are often locally invasive and some, particularly melanomas in dogs, have a high metastatic potential. Combined surgical and medical management can be highly successful in management of oral malignancies but careful planning and a holistic approach to the patients health are essential in achieving positive treatments. Eastcott OMFS service also offer reconstructive surgery for patients that have undergone successful cancer surgery to improve quality of life and improve function.
Our team of specialists are qualified and experienced in all aspects of OMFS and are well supported by the wider multidisciplinary team at the hospital. We see and treat a wide range of cases and lead the way with cutting edge surgical procedures and innovations. Commonly referred cases include:
- Jaw fractures
- Oral neoplasia
- Congenital or traumatic cleft palate
- Temporo-mandibular disorders
- Salivary mucocele
- Palatal defects and oro-nasal fistulae
- Maxillo-facial and mandibular trauma
Our Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery team are happy to provide advice by phone or email.