Dr. Brigitte Brisson is a surgeon at the OVC Companion Animal Hospital,
and professor of small animal surgery at Ontario Veterinary College.
Please tell us about your role at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), University of Guelph.
Clinical care is a major part of my job. As a small animal soft tissue surgeon, I treat all soft tissue conditions including oncology and neurology patients who have been referred to OVC for advanced care. The majority of my patients are dogs and cats, but I also treat a variety of pocket pets– bunnies, ferrets and guinea pigs. I teach fourth-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) students, as well as graduate student residents on the hospital floor, and when I’m on clinics, I’m usually in surgery for 4-6 major procedures on a surgery day, sometimes more. One of my main areas of focus is minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Interventional radiology procedures, a sub-category of MIS, is the diagnosis and treatment of diseases through a small incision or no incision and using imaging technology such as fluoroscopy (a real-time X-Ray device) to deliver devices such as stents. OVC is one of the few places in Canada that does interventional procedures, as it’s still a relatively new area of veterinary medicine. Lectures, clinical skills teaching labs, research projects and service activities such as continuing education and speaking engagements get fit in around my clinical obligations – sometimes I’m finishing up a surgery and rushing right in to give a lecture. Every day is different, which is one of the most exciting parts of the job.
What is the best part about your job?
The best part of my job is that each day brings something different and challenges me to do something new and better. I am lucky to work very closely with a team of students, interns, residents, technicians and colleagues from other specialties. One of my passions is teaching surgical skills to our student veterinarians. When I joined OVC as faculty, transitioning a classroom-based curriculum into a hands-on skills lab was one of my priorities. I created an online database of photos and how-to videos that have been important in educating our future veterinarians. The interactive textbook includes everything from how to gown up before surgery, how to put on gloves, basic suture patterns – to advanced skills such as step-by-step instructions on how to perform bladder, stomach and intestine surgeries, and much more. Many of the materials and models we use in our labs emulate real life. Giving students the ability to learn without the stress of moving from a textbook directly to a real patient allows them to practice and build confidence. It’s a true privilege to teach and work with our students, both undergraduate and graduate. I was nominated by last year’s second-year DVM students (Class of 2018) who were the first to take our new principles of surgery course to be an honorary class president for their cohort – what an honour!
What impact does Pet Trust funding have on your research?
OVC is extremely fortunate to have Pet Trust. The quality and quantity of studies at OVC would simply not be possible without Pet Trust – especially advanced clinical research. An early career research focus of mine was studying intervertebral disc disease in dogs. Dogs, like humans, get disc herniation in the spinal cord but often dogs can become paralyzed and the condition is typically acute, requiring emergency surgical intervention. Even with surgery, dogs have a 25 per cent chance of recurrence. Fenestration is a surgical procedure that aims to reduce the possibility of the surrounding disc from herniating in the future, but involves more risk. Pet Trust funded my project that followed approximately 300 dogs over a ten-year period and our results showed that performing this procedure did in fact decrease the risk of repeated problems in the future. This was one of the largest clinical studies I’ve been a part of, and it’s a proud research outcome I’ve had in my career. The results of this study have had a direct impact on standard of care of dogs with disc herniation and are referenced frequently across the literature – this was possible because of Pet Trust. My other research interests have focused on the development of minimally invasive procedures including those to diagnose and treat complicated conditions such as chylothorax, a type of abnormal fluid accumulation within the chest of dogs and cats. Pet Trust was instrumental in these studies coming to life.
Why veterinary medicine?
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a surgeon. I grew up constantly surrounded by animals my whole life. I’ve had every pet you could imagine: dogs, cats, bunnies, all types of birds and pocket pets, and even turtles and salamanders; my family recently welcomed two Bengal kittens into our home. After I completed veterinary school at the Université de Montréal, I was accepted at OVC for a one-year internship. I fell in love with OVC, and ended up completing a three-year small animal surgery residency with a combined graduate degree (DVSc) before being offered a faculty position in 2000 and becoming board certified in small animal surgery in 2001. OVC is a remarkable place to practice veterinary medicine: our colleagues, clients and referring veterinarians are wonderful, and our case load is varied and challenging. Being an animal lover and pet owner gives me empathy and understanding, and has taught me the decision-making process a client often experiences when making health choices for their pet; essentially, it allows me to be a better veterinary surgeon.
What will the new surgery and anesthesia facilities at OVC mean to you?
Historically, OVC has been a place of innovation that has helped to re-imagine veterinary medicine. During my time here I have personally been a part of, or witnessed my colleagues, improve the standards of care we implement and teach our students. It is the support of our donors, grateful clients, dedicated referring veterinary hospitals, our graduates and more who have helped make this possible. This campaign is not any different. It really is investing in the future of veterinary medicine and will help our pets (whether they are treated here or by one of our graduates educated in this new facility) live longer, healthier lives.
What projects are you currently working on?
One of my current projects (funded by Pet Trust) is examining the use of a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to target non-resectable tumours without any surgical incisions. In collaboration with The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), our study aims to investigate surgical treatment options for bone tumours in a minimally invasive approach in dogs. The goal will be to use the findings to not only treat canine cancer, but produce results that may potentially translate into benefits for human cancer treatment too.
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Dr. Brisson teaching student veterinarians