Lort Smith Animal Hospital expands with specialist surgeries to keep complex cases in-house

Lort Smith Animal Hospital in North Melbourne is launching a new range of specialist surgical services, including neurosurgery and orthopaedics, to provide advanced care locally and ease referrals for complex cases.

Lort Smith Animal Hospital will begin offering a new suite of specialist surgical services from 10 August, in a move designed to keep more complex cases in-house and reduce the need for external referral.

The North Melbourne hospital said the expansion will cover neurosurgery, ear, nose and throat procedures, urogenital surgery, and musculoskeletal surgery and traumatology. The programme will be led by specialist surgeon Dr Ben Mielke, a European Board-Certified Specialist Surgeon with a background that includes soft tissue, orthopaedic and neurosurgical work.

For general practitioners referring into the hospital, the development adds another option for advanced care within a familiar clinical network. Lort Smith has said the aim is to improve continuity for patients, while also easing the burden on owners whose pets require more specialised treatment.

Chief Veterinarian Dr Jessica Wilde said the launch marks an important stage in the organisation’s broader specialty offering, and noted that it will also strengthen support for referring veterinarians managing advanced surgical cases.

The hospital already provides a wide range of general surgery services, from routine desexing and stitch-ups to more involved bowel, bladder, eye and ear operations. It also works with Melbourne Animal Referral Services on selected orthopaedic and soft tissue procedures, including TPLO and BOAS cases.

With more than 60 veterinarians and 90 nurses across its sites, Lort Smith says the expansion builds on its existing diagnostic and surgical capability, including access to CT, ultrasound, endoscopy and other in-house equipment.

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