Soft tissue surgery is an extremely varied clinical discipline, and this is reflected in the breadth of topics being investigated by the small animal soft tissue surgery team. Current areas of investigation include:

• Investigation into pathogenicity factors in bacteria found in post-surgical wound infections
• Reconstructive surgery and wound management
• Evaluation of novel surgical techniques to treat

               - Urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence in dogs
               - Intra and extrahepatic portosystemic shunts in dogs 
               - Intramural ectopic ureters in dogs
               - Cardiac congenital malformations and cardiac degenerative diseases
                 (with the cardiothoracic and vascular group)

Recent publications

• Thin film banding compared with ameroid ring constrictor for the treatment of extrahepatic congenital portosystemic shunts in dogs
• Chemical analysis of thin plastic films used for surgical attenuation of portosystemic shunts in dogs and cats
• Electrosurgery reduces blood loss and immediate post-operative inflammation compared to scalpel alone for midline celiotomy in dogs
• Changes in chemical and ultrastuctural composition of ameroid constrictors following in vitro expansion
• Evaluation of hygroscopic tissue expansion in 50 dogs
• Long-term outcome of female dogs treated with an artificial urethral sphincter for urinary sphincter mechanism incompetence.