Veterinary Surgical Specialists

My 10 yr old golden retriever went into shock from a tumor that had ruptured her spleen. We had no idea that she had this tumor and when we took her into a different emergency facility closer to our home; they recommended that we put her down that the tumor was likely cancer and the prognosis was not good. We were in shock ourselves at this news as she was playing just a few hours before. We asked that they try to stabilize her that night and we picked her up in the morning and took her for another opinion. Our regular veterinarian recommended Veterinary Surgical Specialists if we wanted to consider having her spleen and tumor removed. She said if it wasn’t cancer; she could live out her normal life. We are so happy that we decided to take her to Veterinary Surgical Specialists and Advanced Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialty to save our sweet girl. Ultrasound showed the tumor and bleeding from the spleen but her other organs looked normal. Dr. Cambridge removed the tumor and her spleen and also did another lifesaving procedure of anchoring her stomach so it doesn’t twist which is a common complication after removing the spleen in a large chested dog. Our girl is now 7 months post op and is doing very well and living a happy life! Yes, this was a very expensive surgery but she is our family member and her unconditional love is worth every penny! Thank you for the exceptional care and saving our dear girl! If you want the best possible chance of saving your pet, this is the place to go! They will give you an estimate so you can make an informed decision as the bill will be expensive.

Dr. Diane Craig is amazing and her staff is wonderful, my dog had a fractured jaw from being bitten by a dog at PetSmart while I doggie daycare, he had two previous surgeries with a poor outcome and developed an infection in his bone, we really were afraid he would have to be euthanized, he is now eating and doing great thanks to the great care he received, I really recommend Dr. Craig and her staff they are truly amazing

They took excellent care of my puppy, and a shout out to Pets to Vet transportation for getting her there. Thanks again, hopefully I won’t need to bring my little baby back but if I do I know she will be in good hands.

DO NOT let these people rush you into making an emotionally driven decision to have surgery. Surgery is NOT always the best option. Performing surgeries are how they make money, so of course, they will ALWAYS recommend surgery. Even when it’s completely unnecessary.
My dog, a 70lb mixed breed, suffered a knee injury that left her severely lame. I took her to our regular vet where he performed the knee drawer test and determined she had a torn CCL. We were referred to Veterinary Surgical Specialists to determine severity and course of treatment.
Our appointment was with Dr. Sebastion. Our visit with Dr. Sebastion lasted no more than 5 minutes during which he never even touched the dog. He said she would need TPLO surgery and would need it right away or she would never walk again. He said there are no other treatment options. He said it would be $ 4200 and told me to make payment arrangements with the desk and then walked out.
Unfortunately, I was not at all in a position to pay the surgery fee and felt hopeless. I frantically tried to raise the funds necessary for surgery, but after a couple weeks was not even close. Fortunately, my dog began to show signs of recovery and as time passed.
I was confused how after being told by a trusted medical professional that she would never walk again, but then did. I started to do LOTS of research on canine CCL injuries. What I found was quite disturbing and left me with ZERO trust in veterinary surgeons.
In MOST cases of a torn canine CCL, surgery is definitely not necessary. Most of the time the dog can recover as well or better than surgery from Conservative Management. Conservative Management basically limits your dog’s activity to allow time for the injury to heal. In the case of a CCL injury, while a lengthy process, has proven to be effective in the recovery of most animals.
Determining we had no other options, we employed the Conservative Management approach and am pleased to say the outcome was fantastic. It was a long few months, but my dog eventually healed just fine and was back to chasing tennis balls just as she did before the injury.
I’m not trying to talk anyone out of surgery, and please keep in mind I am only discussing one very particular injury. I just want other pet owners to have the information they need to make an informed decision, rather than an emotional one, to decide what is best for your pet. I felt misguided by the vets and initially placed too much trust in them. I believe they failed in their duties as trusted medical professionals to discuss ALL possible treatment options.
Interestingly enough, since then I’ve had another dog that also suffered a torn CCL. The vet that examined this dog, of course also recommended surgery, said that it’s not possible to determine the type of surgery that is necessary, TPLO or TTA, until surgery when the extent of damage can be identified. The extent of damage cannot be determined by looking at an xray alone. This is of course contradictory to what Dr. Sebastion said stating she would need TPLO surgery right way. Why would he say this? My only guess could be because that’s the more expensive of the two types of surgery.
My advice is that if your pet’s injury is not life threatening, you owe it to your pet to take some time to do some research and make an informed decision about what is best for your pet. Making a quick emotional decision to immediately have surgery based solely on what the vet told you may not be what is best.
I have found that the article I’ve posted below is a great summary of what I’ve learned while dealing with this.

This team is amazing kind with great heart with animals. My beautiful Siamese cat Mia Tai felt lot of out pouring warmth. Diane Craig she is fantastic with lots of in-​depth knowledge about your cats and dogs.

A very big thank you to Dr Cambridge for taking care of my 11 year old German Shepherd, Tess. Dr. Cambridge removed her mammary glands which was a growth in her mid section. We referred to Dr Cambridge by our vet. Dr Anne Lai of Animal Hospital of Irvine. Tess is doing very well since her surgery in December 2015 & we hope to enjoy her for many more years to come.
Again, we are most grateful for taking great care of Tess & looking forward to enjoying Tess for many more years to come.

Finding Veterinary Surgical Specialists was truly a blessing from God! My sister and I cannot stop ranting and raving about the empathy, transparency, honesty, wisdom, and knowledge their staff and surgeons demonstrated. They were the kindest souls as well.
In my opinion, it is very easy for the medical field to maximize their profit by highly recommending numerous unnecessary treatments. Dr. Tony Cambridge was the most transparent, honest and extremely wise doctor who informed me only of the surgical procedures he deemed crucial for recovery. I experienced the exact opposite at two other veterinary hospitals I took my dog to.
Bottom line, I give them a standing ovation and have already informed all family and friends that if they ever need a Veterinary Specialist, do not go anywhere else but there!

I’m beyond happy with the services and care!
My beautiful 15 week old golden retriever puppy had a freak accident and broke her leg. The great care started with just the first phone call. You can tell how much they care about your pet and are so comforting to the owners during this terrible experience. After learning she has to stay overnight, I was told we could call at ANY time to check on my baby, I also received many kind-​hearted updates about the recovery process.
Accidents happen. And this hospital makes what was such a traumatic experience for us, bearable! Haha thank you sooo much Dr. Craig and ALL the staff.

Thanks to Dr. Craig and the amazing, compassionate team at VSS, my grandcat’s broken foot is on the mend. The seamless attention to detail, while making us feel like we were the only client there, helped make an extremely emotional situation very comfortable.
They are the best surgeons in the business. I would not give my furry family member to anyone else. :) Why would anyone go anywhere else?

VSS is hands down the best vet I have ever used. Our cat suffered a broken leg while on vacation and we took her to VCA (across the street from VSS) for an emergency visit because there was no wait. We were told surgery would be needed and it was going to be extremely expensive. We avoided VCA (thankfully) and went straight to VSS next door.
They got us in right away, walked us through the procedure, the costs, the post op and everything in between. I felt educated and very comfortable using VSS.
We called throughout the day for updates and not once did I feel like I was bothering them — they gave me updates every time and even told me they would send me pictures while she was waiting to go into surgery.
At the end of the day, Dr. Diane Craig personally called us to give an update on the surgery, what she did, and what we needed to do next. She is an amazing surgeon and person.
Our feline friend is doing extremely well and honestly, it is all thanks to Dr. Craig.
Do not think twice about going to VSS. They are worth every penny.

We went in last night with our beloved older kitty, after she was cornered and unfortunately the pup got her. Due to her age, the trauma she suffered and the cost of the surgery to save her, a tough decision had to be made. Doctor Beaman and the staff were so accommodating and compassionate, they all tried to work on the cost to help us save our beloved pet but sadly it was just out of our already tight budget in life. I would like to thank all those that help us, and apologies to the tech she bite, for making this awful situation somewhat easier and allowing the entire family to be there to say their good byes. They are truly good people and glad they were there to help us.

This place is amazing. Dr. Cambridge is the most amazing surgeon ever. My dog was diagnosed w squamous cell carcinoma and had to have most off her tongue removed. Dr. Cambridge got everything out. He saved her life and I couldn’t be more thankful for this place. Staff is wonderful too! You can tell they love animals are so compassionate about what they do.

My dog ozzie had cruciate ligament tears in both of his knees. His first one tore and we used conservative management and it healed alright. But it took a year, and it was a rough year. Ozzie is an 8 year old Queensland heeler mix and he is very active. As soon as he was good enough to play fetch… the ligament in his good knee tore. We did not want to wait another year for it to heal. I was terrified of tta or tplo surgery due to what I had researched online, but we did not want to do conservative management again. So we took him here and he had tta done. Everyone was super nice and very honest. His recovery was smooth and we have our dog back… and his tta leg is stronger than the one that healed itself… if he gets sore it is never the tta leg. If we could go back we would have done surgery the first time around.

If you are reading the Unilocal reviews, it’s because you want to know what kind of professional service you will get from VSSOC. I can tell you in one word — AMAZING.
We were referred to VSS by Veterinary Cancer Group a few doors down. As a skeptic, I thought in the back of my mind «yeah they probably pass patients back and forth. Is VSS really the best.» After some research on Unilocal etc, I saw nothing but 5 star ratings. My experience with them wax nothing short of miraculous.
We consulted with Dr Peter Sebestyn on Saturday the 24^th of October. Based on his reccomendations and by how knowledgable he presents himself we scheduled surgery ASAP. Two days later, our little Pekingese was operated on.
Through the SKILL of Dr Sebestyn, he removed a lung lobe in our boy that had a tumor. The Dr’s skill a precision was amazing. He got ALL of the cancerous tumor eradicated from our baby. He even took a biopsy of the lymph nodes because he wanted to BE SURE that everything was checked. THANK GOD the lymph nodes tested negative — and the tumor was tested and Dr Peter GOT IT ALL.
He literally saved my puppy’s life with his skilled assessment, surgery and follow up. Dr Sebestyn kept us updated with personal phone calls with all thd steps before and after the surgery. He has been checking in our boy daily via phone calls and emails every day since the operation. I have NEVER seen that level of commitment and caring from a health care professional, even more so a Veterinary Specialist.
If you want THE BEST, come here. I am sorry you are reading this needing help, I we will Pray for all the sick family member pets. I trust these people with my sons life.

The ONLY doctors I trust for my baby girl. Ella has been here twice for two different surgeries and the facility, office staff, and surgeon are all absolutely incredible. It’s the ONLY place I’ll take our yorkie and the ONLY place I trust!

Our corgi Peanut had TTA surgeries performed on both knees by Dr. Sebestyen, about 3 months apart. He had exhibited a limp last year that went away and came back a few times, after exercise. We tried light activity and a brace, but eventually it got worse and after a checkup + X-​ray, VSS confirmed that he needed surgery due to CCL injury. Dr. Sebestyen and the entire staff at VSS were so caring — they really are the best.
We got a 2^nd opinion at another local vet surgeon with a lot of experience, and they recommended TPLO. I did a lot of research, and personally preferred TTA if it was an option. Also, the VSS staff and process showed much more care for Peanut’s comfort and well-​being. So we scheduled the first surgery in February and it went very well. They really walk you through the recovery period, and every time we call (day or night), they pick up within seconds. VSS is AMAZING. Peanut was walking around more comfortably the very next day, even with the soft cast on. The surgery is like a miracle and your dog will regain his mobility like you won’t believe.
When Peanut had the same problem in his other leg (it often happens in both legs if it happens at all), we were very confident with going through the same process at VSS.
I can’t say enough about Dr. Sebestyen. He is really knowledgeable and a master at his craft. I’m pretty sure he’s one of the best canine orthopedic surgeons in the world — although he would probably never admit to that. I’m the type to research the heck out of things like this online, and I’ve sent him annoying emails with questions. Each time, he has provided lengthy clear responses. The time and care that he puts on each of his patients is 2^nd to none. We paid for him to do Peanut’s surgery, but he also gives peace of mind free of charge. Wherever we live in the future, if one of our dogs needs surgery of some kind, we would seek out Dr. Sebestyen and VSS. I would fly halfway around the world to get it done here.
Every time I see Peanut run fast and free of pain, I know it’s all thanks to them. VSS does more for people and their pets than they’ll ever know.

I can’t write enough good words to the Dr here n the Nurse name Jennifer, Amy receptionist! they r such a blessing to my family n my big boy AB Samson! he had leg surgery here and after one year they still treating with caring n compassionate! gratitude! !! from Wilner

I cannot say «Thank you» enough to the staff at VSS for taking such amazing care of my fur baby «Cocoa»!
Dr. Sebestyen did a perfect double patella luxation surgery on her! His bedside manner was impeccable and caring! Susan was her nurse and Dr. Sebestyen’s right hand! She was caring and patient with all my questions and requests and did an amazing job with Cocoa.
Stephanie was her overnight tech and she was an angel! She lovingly took very special care of her through the night with hugs and kisses. She sent me updates every couple of hours with text messages and pictures of Cocoa’s progress! Thank you again Stephanie! You Rock!!!
Jennifer and Amie were her other caregivers (techs) and were also very student, caring and loving! I couldn’t of asked for a better group of amazing professionals to care for my fur baby! They held my heart in their hands and took amazing care of her Would highly recommend VSS, Dr. Sebestyen and his staff!!!

Dr Sebestyen hands down the best vet you could ask for your dog. Our 15 months old corgi was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. Even though she is very young and she has no pain the first vet suggested a Femoral Head Osteotomy (FHO) to eliminate future pain. These surgeries are very painful and the healing time is 6 – 8 weeks normally.
Yesterday we took our dog to Dr Sebestyen to get a second opinion and to find out a little more about her condition. He agreed on the fact that she has hip dysplasia and popping joints. Although he also said that this is pretty common among corgis until a certain degree. Obviously she is too young to have arthritis, so she is in a very early stage and it is almost impossible to predict what will happen later and how bad will this get and some of the symptoms can even diminish as she finish growing. He said the best thing he can recommend is to stay patient and monitor her condition closely from now on before we do anything drastic. There is a chance we will be able to keep her pain-​free and active simply using supplements, so waiting to do anything drastic is very wise.
It totally worth it to drive down there from Sherman Oaks, because from now we have a great vet for our corgi. You just can’t take your dog somewhere else when you know there’s Dr Sebestyen! :)

I had such a great experience with Dr. Tony Cambridge.
I brought my dog here for an examination regarding a luxating patella. Another veterinarian had diagnosed him with a grade 3 condition and was recommending a very expensive surgery, so I wanted a second opinion.
I wasn’t initially sure if Veterinary *Surgical* Specialists was the best place to go as I really did not want my dog to undergo surgery if he didn’t have to… and by the name of their clinic, surgery seemed to be the specialty! However Dr. Cambridge was recommended to me by my friend who does agility with her dog and she’s a lady who knows her stuff.
Dr. Cambridge palpated my dog’s knees, took him down the hallway, and dismissed the former veterinarian’s diagnosis. He told me that my dog’s condition was quite minor, small dogs like him don’t usually progress, and then sent us on our merry way.
It was extremely refreshing to encounter such an honest doctor who actually has the best for the patient in mind and not his own pocketbook. If I ever need another second opinion, I will definitely be coming back… and I wholeheartedly recommend you do too!