Our Surrey small animal hospital has enhanced its industry-leading service offering with the launch of a unique interventional pain management clinic.

North Downs Specialist Referrals (NDSR), in Bletchingley, is thought to be the only private referral practice in the country offering the pioneering interventional treatment, which will be led by Roger Medina Serra DVM MVetMed MRCVS.

The service, which will largely see patients treated and sent home during the same day, will include spinal interventions and interfascial, perineural and intraarticular injections.
Roger, who joined Linnaeus-owned NDSR last autumn from the Royal Veterinary College, said the hospital will offer some unique analgesic interventions not offered elsewhere in the UK or Europe.

He said: “Interventional pain management, or interventional analgesia, involves a wide range of image-guided injections, using ultrasound and fluoroscopy in the process, with the aim of treating and helping to understand acute and chronic pain management and improving the quality of life of the patient.

“The use of interventional analgesia also complements the analgesia provided by adjunctive parenteral medication as part of a multimodal analgesic approach.

“This treatment would suit patients who have been on long-term analgesic medication, in particular.

“It does require something of a leap of faith by owners but it is an excellent option for those animals suffering from acute and chronic pain and can naturally complement pain treatments such as acupuncture and physiotherapy.”

Roger said common applications of interventional analgesia could include pain from osteoarthritis which will commonly appear after hip or elbow dysplasia, along with other degenerative conditions.

He added: “This type of treatment is also beneficial for tackling spinal pain after compression of spinal nerves, as well as pain secondary to radiculopathies, myelopathies, facet joint degeneration and even discopathic pain.

“We would also look to treat musculoskeletal pain secondary to neoplasia, fractures and muscular spasms among others, plus visceral pain secondary to pancreatitis or other medical/surgical conditions.”

Terry Emmerson, hospital director at NDSR, said Roger’s arrival has accelerated the launch of this unique offering.

He said: “We have a very talented anaesthesia and analgesia team and Roger’s appointment has allowed us to introduce this novel interventional pain management clinic, which adds yet another string the bow of our multidisciplinary hospital.

“There is no doubt this is a passion of Roger’s and we are looking forward to seeing the successful outcomes for patients referred to this unique service.”

For more information about North Downs Specialist Referrals, and for details about its interventional pain management clinic, visit www.ndsr.co.uk or search for NDSR on social media.

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