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Surgery Research
Australian journal where horses
with EMPF also had liver fibrosis. Improves Treatment
With that information, she and Dr.
Pacheco decided to start Chance on
four weeks of steroids to bring down
inflammation and slow the progess
of the fibrosis. They also put him on
a new diet of hay-free alfalfa feed.
The prognosis for EMPF treatment
is fair to poor, but at his one-month
checkup, Chance showed significant
improvement in weight gain and
body condition, and his liver tests
were close to normal. His chest
x-rays showed significant reduction
of the fibrosis. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RON MANDSAGER
At his next check up, six months
later, Chance showed even more Did you get it all? It’s a common most effectively treated via surgical
improvement in both his lungs question asked after tumor removal intervention,” he says.
and liver. “Most important was surgery. Dr. Milan Milovancev is
his incredible improvement in a soft tissue surgeon at the CCVM After receiving his Doctorate of
attitude and body condition,’ says. whose research focuses on that Veterinary Medicine, he completed
Dr. Pacheco. “He was 145 pounds aspect of cancer treatment. a surgical internship, then a three-
year residency in small animal
heavier than when he first came into Dr. Milovancev operates on surgery at the University of
the hospital. He made an amazing hundreds of dogs with cancer every Wisconsin. He was interested in
recovery.” year and, at the same time, has research from the start.
devoted many hours to studying and
Dr. Pacheco recognizes that the developing improved techniques “As soon as I started clinical work,
team approach at the CCVM is a big for treating locally invasive tumors. I realized there were opportunities
advantage in treating her patients. His research has investigated how to improve how clinical services
“We have so many opportunities to tumors grow, how to plan tumor are delivered, either through a
collaborate,” she says. “I can work surgery, and how to best test for better understanding of underlying
with radiologists, and patholo- residual cancer cells after surgery. disease process, or by developing
gists, and other specialists. We also “I am dedicated to improving new methods of diagnosis and
have great equipment and great quality of life for cancer patients by treatment,” he says.
technicians. It’s a big group who are working to maximize chances of
involved in caring for our patients.” removing the tumor during the first Dr. Milovancev has been on the soft
surgery, while preserving as much tissue surgery team at CCVM for
Chance is currently feeling good healthy tissue as possible,” he says. ten years, and likes the university
and enjoying a normal life. “He has setting. “I enjoy the diversity of
slowly gotten better and better,” says Dr. Milovancev developed an engaging, yet related activities I
his trainer, Tobey Spitzer. “I started interest in surgery as a fourth-year participate in: clinical service to
working him slowly on the ground veterinary student at the University animals and their families; research
and now I am riding him. He looks of Minnesota. “While on clinical driven by a desire to improve patient
beautiful!” rotations, working with actual quality of life; and training of
patients, I realized that many of the veterinary students.”
problems our patients encounter are
vetmed.oregonstate.edu • 13
