100th cancer patient treated by Bristol Vet Specialists’ linear accelerator on hospital’s first anniversary
The 100th cancer patient – dog Eric - has been treated by Bristol Vet Specialists state-of-the-art linear accelerator on the first anniversary of the hospital’s opening.
The fully digital £1.7m Elekta InfinityTM linear accelerator is the only one of its kind for pets in England[i]. It is allowing the hospital to offer “cutting edge” image-guided radiation treatments for cancer in cats and dogs – meaning fewer, shorter sessions, fewer side effects and the best possible chance of improved outcomes for the animal.
Delphine Holopherne-Doran, Clinical Director at Bristol Vet Specialists, said:
“Our new hospital is now at the forefront of cancer care in animals. We have invested in this state-of-the-art technology to bring cancer treatment in pets to the next level.
“Our unique linear accelerator allows us to offer advanced image-guided treatments - for example intensity-modulated or stereotactic radiation therapy. The advantage of these treatments is that high dose rates of focused beams are delivered with high precision over a shortened treatment course, with greater safety for the patient’s healthy tissue.
“It has now drawn many tumours into the realm of treatability, it is improving the quality of life for patients, and it is making it easier for owners to manage their pet’s treatment and aftercare.”
Opening just 12 months ago, Bristol Vet Specialists is a £13.5m, 30,000 sq. ft. multidisciplinary hospital for small animals. The largest in the Southwest, it has been custom-built with cutting-edge facilities, employs 130 of the most qualified veterinary professionals in Europe, and is enabling the development of new treatments.
Since opening its doors, the hospital has welcomed nearly 3,000 patients and conducted over 4,500 procedures - in general surgery, orthopaedics, neurology and neurosurgery, internal medicine, ophthalmology, cardiology, dermatology, oncology and dentistry - as well as offering dedicated anaesthesia, analgesia, diagnostic imaging and intensive care. The hospital has a multi-disciplinary approach, with an entire team around every patient, to ensure the best outcome for the animal.
Designed in collaboration with BVS clinical colleagues. Bristol Vet Specialists was planned over five years and took 24 months to custom build. It runs over two floors - a ground floor for canines and a first floor for felines – where there is capacity for 47 and 26 patients respectively. In addition to its cutting-edge oncology suite and radiotherapy unit, the hospital also houses next generation operating theatres - with wall screens, multi-parameter monitoring systems and intra-operative camera systems, along with an imaging suite - with the latest 1.5 Tesla high-field MRI scanner and latest 64-slice CT scanner.
Based at Central Park, Avonmouth, Bristol Vet Specialists is situated in an excellent location, being easily accessible from the M5, M4 and M49 motorways. It is open for emergencies in all disciplines every hour of every day of the year.
Bristol Vet Specialists is owned by CVS Group. CVS Group operates across small animal, farm animal, equine, laboratories and crematoria, with over 500 veterinary practices, referral centres and sites in the UK and Australia. In the last five years the company has invested nearly £80 million in its sites, facilities and equipment, in addition to industry leading training and support, to give the best possible care to animals.