Willows Appoints World-class Cardiology Specialist To Lead Service
3 years ago 
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When you have operated inside the jaws of an alligator there is likely to be very little that will phase you in life, let alone in the world of animals.
Which makes heart specialist Dr Simon Swift a stellar appointment as the new head of cardiology at award-winning Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull, West Midlands.
Dr Swift has returned to England to join Linnaeus-owned Willows after a seven-year stay at the University of Florida, USA, where he was a medical director, chief of cardiology and associate editor of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
It is also where he worked on a host of exotic animals including alligators, bats and wild African Painter dogs.
Dr Swift, pictured, said: “I must admit, it was an unforgettable experience feeding an ultrasound probe down the oesophagus of an alligator and I can safely say they are very different to all other species.
“I was performing a transthoracic echocardiogram where we anaethetise the alligator and pass the probe down the oesophagus to take images of the heart.
“Normal transthoracic images on alligators are poor because they have such thick skin but the transoesophageal images are beautiful, clear and distinct.
“I was also involved in a couple of projects at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, including research into a colony of African Painted Dogs at the resort.
“I’ve helped look after bats, too, at a Conservation Centre in Florida which was set up by the Bacardi family, the people behind the world-famous drinks company which uses a bat as its logo.
“That was very different and very interesting. In humans, an early indicator of heart failure is fluid retention causing swelling of the legs.
“It’s the complete opposite in bats as they spend so much time hanging upside down, the fluid goes to their heads instead.”
Dr Swift then added with a smile: “So, if you ever see a bat with a swollen head – think heart failure!”
As well as his sharp sense of humour, the Cambridge graduate also possesses a determined drive to embrace the latest in international research and developments in veterinary science and procedures.
Mostly notably, he has forged close links with the renowned Dr Masami Uechi at the Jasmine Clinic in Yokohama, Japan, who has pioneered mitral valve repair surgery in dogs and boasts a remarkable 96 per cent survival rate.
He explained: “Heart failure is one of the biggest killers of dogs worldwide, so Dr Uechi’s work is a real breakthrough and I’d love to be involved in seeing it develop here in the UK.”
Dr Swift is certainly keen to use his vast experience, expertise and excellent contacts to benefit Willows, saying: “I have inherited a great team from my predecessor Chris Linney, who has done a superb job here and we’re lucky to keep him within the Linnaeus group following his move north to Paragon Veterinary Referrals in Wakefield.
“I’m totally committed to continuing the development and growth of the outstanding cardiology unit here, especially in terms of minimally invasive surgery, and to bring even more advanced cardiology techniques to Willows and the UK.”
Willows has also successfully recruited Fabio Sarcinella, a European and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Cardiology, with key experience of emergency and critical care cases, to bolster its cardiology team.
After graduating from Bologna University (Italy) in 2012, Fabio undertook a small animal Cardiology externship at the University of Liverpool then completed a 12-month rotating internship in small animal medicine at a referral centre, followed by almost two years in general practice.
In 2016, he was appointed a resident in small animal cardiology at the University of Liverpool before becoming a cardiology clinician in private referral practice. Fabio subsequently became a European specialist in veterinary cardiology.
He’s now delighted to have joined the expert team at Willows and is looking forward to making a key contribution to the cardio team.
Fabio said: “I enjoy all aspects of medical and interventional cardiology but my main interest is in congenital heart disease, feline cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias and performing minimally invasive procedures to treat these defects.”
Willows offers specialist services in anaesthesia and analgesia, cardiology, clinical nutrition, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, emergency and critical care, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery and spinal surgery.
To find out more about Willows’ wide range of specialist services, visit www.willows.uk.net or search for Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service on Facebook.
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