Nevis Emblem
Mobile Surgery & Specialty Referral

Board-certified surgery,
in the right setting
for every patient.

I operate across two settings in the San Fernando Valley and Northern Los Angeles: mobile at primary-care hospitals for routine and elective procedures, and at Bixby Animal Specialty & Emergency (Tuesday through Friday) for cases that require 24-hour care, multispecialty involvement, or advanced imaging.

Refer a Case → Call (818) 458-3785
Surgeon
Rodrigo Roca, DVM
Board Certification
Diplomate, ACVS
Settings
Mobile & Bixby AS&E
— 01

Board-Certified

ACVS Diplomate — a credential held only by surgeons who complete a rigorous residency and pass written and oral board examinations.

— 02

Mobile Surgery

For routine and elective cases, I bring specialty instrumentation, implants, and orthopedic power equipment to your hospital's operating room.

— 03

Specialty Hospital

For cases requiring 24-hour care, multispecialty support, or advanced imaging, I operate Tuesday–Friday at Bixby Animal Specialty & Emergency.

— 04

Right-Setting Triage

Every referral begins with a review of the case and a recommendation of which setting fits — mobile, specialty hospital, or a different path entirely.

About the Surgeon

A practice built around matching each case to the right setting.

Nevis Vet Surgery & Orthopedics was founded on a straightforward premise: the surgical setting should match the patient. Routine and elective procedures on stable patients are often best kept at the hospital your clients already know — and in those cases I bring the specialty equipment and expertise to your operating room. Cases that require 24-hour monitoring, multispecialty involvement, or advanced imaging belong in a specialty hospital, where full ICU, critical care, and internal medicine support are immediately available.

For that second pathway, I operate Tuesday through Friday at Bixby Animal Specialty & Emergency. Every referral begins with a review of history, laboratory work, and imaging. I reply with a recommended pathway — mobile surgery at your hospital, or referral to Bixby — along with a surgical plan, an estimate, and anything that should be addressed pre-operatively. When the case is complex or the client would benefit from hearing directly from a specialist, I am glad to consult with owners in person, by phone, or by video.

The goal is a model that respects both tracks: your hospital's role in continuity of care for cases that fit that setting, and the resources of a specialty center for cases that deserve them.

Board Certification
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS)
Disciplines
Soft tissue surgery, orthopedic surgery, surgical oncology
Service Area
San Fernando Valley & Northern Los Angeles County
Case Selection

Two pathways, matched to the case.

Every referral begins with the same question: does this patient belong in a primary-care operating room with mobile surgical support, or at a specialty hospital with 24-hour care and multispecialty backup? Both are right answers — the question is which one fits this patient.

— Pathway 01 · Mobile Surgery

At your primary-care hospital, with your team.

Best Suited For

Routine and elective procedures on stable patients with standard peri-operative care needs.

Representative Cases

Mass excisions · MPL and TPLO in healthy dogs · cystotomy · pyometra · cesarean section · enucleation · anal sacculectomy · straightforward abdominal exploratory in stable patients · umbilical & inguinal herniorrhaphy.

Setting

I bring the specialty instrumentation, implants, and orthopedic power equipment. Your team provides the OR, anesthesia machine, licensed technician, medications, and peri-operative care.

— Pathway 02 · Specialty Hospital

At Bixby Animal Specialty & Emergency, Tuesday through Friday.

Best Suited For

Cases requiring 24-hour monitoring, multispecialty involvement, advanced imaging, or an on-site ICU.

Representative Cases

Unstable GDV with sepsis · hemoabdomen with coagulopathy · cases requiring CT · thoracic surgery with likely post-op ventilation · patients with significant cardiac or pulmonary comorbidities · complex fracture repair · revision surgery · major oncologic resection.

Setting

24-hour ICU and critical care, internal medicine, dedicated anesthesia team, CT, and on-site emergency service — the resources complex cases deserve.

Unsure which pathway fits? Send the case — pathway recommendation is part of every consult.

Surgical Services

A full orthopedic & soft-tissue menu.

Procedures are grouped by system below. Not every procedure is listed — please call or email for anything not shown, or for multi-procedure and complex cases. A complete price sheet is available on request.

Abdominal & GI

  • Exploratory laparotomy
  • Gastrotomy, enterotomy, R&A
  • GDV & prophylactic gastropexy
  • Subtotal colectomy
  • Ovariohysterectomy — pyometra
  • Cesarean section

Hepatobiliary & Spleen

  • Cholecystectomy
  • Cholecystoduodenostomy
  • Liver lobectomy & biopsies
  • Splenectomy
  • Ameroid ring for EHPSS

Urogenital & Reproductive

  • Cystotomy & partial cystectomy
  • Nephrectomy
  • Perineal urethrostomy
  • Vulvoplasty / episioplasty
  • Perineal herniorrhaphy

Orthopedic — Joints

  • TPLO & CBLO
  • MPL repair
  • FHNO
  • Pan-carpal / pan-tarsal arthrodesis
  • Open hip & elbow reduction

Fractures & Amputations

  • ORIF — simple fractures
  • Digit, tail, coxofemoral amp.
  • Forequarter amputation
  • Implant removal
  • Sedated orthopedic exam & rads

Upper Airway & Head/Neck

  • BOAS surgery
  • Arytenoid lateralization (tie-back)
  • Tracheal R&A (cervical)
  • Ventral bulla osteotomy & TECA-BO
  • Sialadenectomy

Thoracic

  • Lateral thoracotomy — mass excision
  • Lung lobectomy
  • Pericardectomy / window
  • Thymectomy
  • PDA ligation

Oncologic & Soft Tissue

  • Skin & subcutaneous mass excision
  • Abdominal exploratory for mass
  • Lateral thoracotomy mass excision
  • Thoracic wall resection & recon
  • Adrenalectomy

Wound Reconstruction

  • Primary wound closure
  • Local & axial pattern flaps
  • Free skin graft
  • Abdominal wall reconstruction
  • Diaphragmatic herniorrhaphy

A full PDF price sheet organized by system and listing average flat-fee estimates is available on request. Pricing is flexible on a case-by-case basis for financial hardship and complex presentations.

Request Price Sheet →
Who This Is For

Tailored information for veterinarians and pet owners.

Refer a case in four steps.

Most cases receive a surgical plan and estimate within 24 hours. Urgent and emergency cases are prioritized — call the cell directly.

  1. Send the caseEmail history, labs, and DICOM imaging to rroca@nevisvetsurgery.com. Text 818-458-3785 for anything urgent.
  2. Receive a pathway & planI review and reply with the recommended pathway (mobile at your hospital, or referral to Bixby), a surgical approach, an estimate, and anything to address pre-operatively.
  3. Schedule the surgeryFor mobile cases, we coordinate a surgery day at your hospital. For Bixby cases, I help get the referral scheduled. Emergencies are handled the same day when availability permits.
  4. Follow-up continues with youI send a surgical report within 24 hours and remain available for post-operative questions. Recheck, suture removal, and long-term follow-up return to the primary hospital.

Specialty surgery, in the right place for your pet.

If your regular veterinarian has referred you for surgery, here is what to expect. Not every pet needs the same kind of hospital to have the best outcome — so the first step is figuring out where your pet should have their procedure.

For many routine procedures, the best place is the hospital your pet already knows. I bring the specialty equipment and perform the surgery in your primary veterinarian's operating room, while their team — familiar faces to your pet — handles admission, anesthesia, monitoring, and recovery.

For more complex cases, your pet may be better served at a specialty hospital with 24-hour nursing, an intensive-care unit, and other specialists (internal medicine, emergency critical care) on site. In those cases I operate at Bixby Animal Specialty & Emergency, where the resources match what your pet needs.

Your veterinarian and I discuss which setting fits before anything is scheduled, so you know the plan in advance. I am always glad to speak with you directly — in person, by phone, or by video — to walk through what the surgery involves, what recovery looks like, and to answer any questions.

No matter which setting the surgery happens in, your primary veterinarian continues to care for your pet through recovery and for all the follow-up afterward. I send a written surgical summary you can keep for your records, and I remain available to your veterinarian for any post-operative questions that come up.

If you have questions and would like to speak with me directly before your pet's surgery, ask your veterinarian or reach out using the contact information below.

Emergency & On-Call

For surgical emergencies, call directly.

Gastric dilatation volvulus, septic abdomen, hemoabdomen, major traumatic wounds, and foreign-body obstructions rarely belong in a primary-care OR — these cases need ICU and 24-hour support. When availability permits, I accept them on-call at Bixby Animal Specialty & Emergency. Call or text the cell and I will reply with an ETA and triage guidance within minutes.

Direct Cell — Any Hour
(818) 458-3785
Service Area

San Fernando Valley & Northern Los Angeles.

Primary coverage across the greater San Fernando Valley and adjacent Northern Los Angeles communities. Travel to hospitals outside this footprint is considered by request.

Burbank
Glendale
Sherman Oaks
Studio City
Encino
Tarzana
Woodland Hills
Calabasas
Northridge
Granada Hills
Van Nuys
North Hollywood
Pasadena
Santa Clarita
Valencia
Simi Valley

— Outside the Valley? Call to discuss travel.

Get In Touch

Send a case. Ask a question. Schedule a visit.

The fastest path is a direct text or call to the cell. For case submissions with attached records or imaging, email is preferred. Most inquiries receive a reply within 24 hours.

Direct Cell
(818) 458-3785
Call or text. Same-day response for urgent cases.
Email
rroca@nevisvetsurgery.com
Attach history, labs, and DICOM imaging for case review.
Service Area
San Fernando Valley & North LA
Mobile to primary-care hospitals and on-site at Bixby AS&E.