New clinical head for small animal surgery
Press release
20 November 2008
Dr Guy Yates has been promoted to the position of Clinical Head in the Small Animal Surgery section and Senior Lecturer in Small Animal Surgery.
His new role will combine the teaching of students and residents, carrying out clinical surgery at the Veterinary Hospital and developing new research.
His appointment coincides with that of Dr Ted Whittem as Chair of Veterinary Clinical Sciences and Dr Sam Long, who becomes only the second specialist veterinary neurologist in Australia, as the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Veterinary Sciences consolidates its position as the leading veterinary school in the Southern Hemisphere.
Dr Yates has also been accepted as a Fellow of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists after completing a three-year residency at the university and passing his fellowship exams. His endorsement as a specialist in small animal surgery, which is currently being reviewed by the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council, is expected to follow.
“This gives me new opportunities to develop new procedures and to spend more time helping the students, which I enjoy,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Dr Yates, who joined the University in 2003, has been at the forefront of pioneering techniques in keyhole surgery at the Veterinary Hospital, expanding on ideas he brought back from the US where he completed a two-month externship at the University of Colorado.
These techniques cause less discomfort to animals, lead to quicker recovery times, less complications and lower rates of morbidity.
“The approach [in the US] was different to what we were doing and they had a greater level of experience in minimal invasive surgery, but we have been able to apply those ideas here,” said Dr Yates.
“We are using keyhole surgery a lot more now and it is something that is continually evolving.”
Dr Yates began his career in private mixed and small animal practice in south east Queensland after graduating in Veterinary Science at the University of Queensland in 1994.
He completed the Sydney Postgraduate Foundation Distance Education program in small animal surgery in 1996, a Masters of Veterinary Studies at Murdoch University in 2000 and an Internship in small animal surgery at the Northern Sydney Veterinary Specialist Centre also in 2000. He became a Member of the Surgical Chapter of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in 2002.
He moved to the University of Melbourne in 2003 to become a Resident in Small Animal Surgery and continued as a Registrar in Small Animal surgery in 2006. His interests encompass both orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery, having published across both disciplines, and have included the development of a novel axial pattern flap for nasal and facial reconstruction in the dog.
Dr Yates’ current research activities include the development of specific thoracoscopic techniques and novel approaches to tibial plateau levelling osteotomy and medial patellar luxation. He has also recently begun performing microvascular surgery and intends to explore its versatility and potential for application in reconstructive surgery in small animal patients.
For further information please contact the Marketing Manager, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, Tel: 8344 7844 or email: vet-communications@unimelb.edu.au