University of Zurich Veterinary Hospital
Charcoal Perfusion, Plasmapheresis, Apheresis, Peritoneal Dialysis, IHD
Clinic Information
Winterthurerstrasse 260
Zurich, Zurich 8057 Switzerland
2020
0041 44 635 8112
0041 44 635 8112
As of June 2020 the University of Zurich Veterinary Hospital provides hemodialysis therapy for animals. Dr. Vigani returning to Europe from a long period of training in anesthesiology, emergency and intensive care medicine, as well as extracorporeal therapy in the United States, opened the extracorporeal service at the University of Zurich Veterinary Hospital in June 2020. In conjunction with him collaborates the ECC specialist and extracorporeal fellow Dr Claudia Iannucci. The unit provides hemodialysis, hemoperfusion, as well as plasmapheresis therapy. Acute Kidney Injury represent the most common indication for hemodialysis in pets. Extracorporeal therapy is also used in cases of severe acute intoxications. Rapid removal from the bloodstream of toxins or common human drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, paracetamol, antidepressants, and various other prescription drugs can represent a life-saving intervention. Extracorporeal therapy also works for the removal of accidental overdoses of drugs such as chemotherapy agents, aminoglycoside antibiotics, phenobarbital, and others. Least but not last, plasmapheresis, also known as Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE), is also offered by our service. Plasmapheresis has been widely used in human medicine for the treatment of immune mediated disorders over the past decades. We are proud to be able to offer this strategy to pets with similar diseases. Immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA), acute glomerulonephritis, myasthenia gravis, and pemphigus are just a few examples of treatable conditions. You can follow us on Social Media: Facebook: Universitäres Tierspital Zürich, https://www.tierspital.uzh.ch/de.html Instagram: vethemodialysis.uzh
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Team Members
Alessio Vigani
Director
ACVECC, ECVECC, ACVAA
The Ohio State University
University of Florida
AKI, hemodynamics, extracorporeal therapy
Alessio Vigani is currently director of small animal emergency, critical care and extracorporeal therapy at The University of Zurich. Alessio received his D.V.M. degree Summa Cum Laude from the University of Milan in 2006 and then obtained his PhD degree in clinical sciences. He completed a small animal rotating internship at the Ohio State University in Columbus in 2009. He subsequently pursued two consecutive residency programs in veterinary anesthesia and analgesia and emergency and critical care at the University of Florida. He is ACVAA diplomate since 2012, ACVECC diplomate since 2014 and ECVECC diplomate since 2019. Alessio worked as Clinical Assistant Professor in ECC and extracorporeal therapy at North Carolina State University from 2014 until 2019. From 2016 until 2019 he established and directed the extracorporeal fellowship program at NCSU. In June 2020 he opened the extracorporeal fellowship program at the University of Zurich. Dr. Vigani has published several journal articles and book chapters and he has lectured nationally and internationally. His special interests include regional anesthesia in critical care, hemodynamics, acute kidney injury, and extracorporeal therapy. Alessio shares his apartment with his 2 dogs Scimmietta and Macchietta. Alessio is a devoted runner.
Claudia Iannucci
Fellow
ACVECC
University of Vienna
University of Bern
AKI, Toxicology
Claudia Iannucci is a clinical instructor in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care and extracorporeal therapy fellow at the University of Zürich. Claudia received her degree in Veterinary Medicine at the Alma Mater Studiorum of Bologna in 2012, after a one year exchange program at the Lüdwig-Maximilian-Universität in München. She relocated to Vienna in October 2012 to complete an assistantship in Small Animal Surgery at the Vet Med Uni Wien and then a Small Animal Rotating Internship. In 2015, she started a specialty Internship in Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care at the University of Bern, followed by a 3-years Residency program. During this period, she also completed her doctoral thesis with the title “Comparison of an isotonic crystalloid solution versus a 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 on hemostasis in canine spontaneous hemoperitoneum”. Since October 2019 Dr Iannucci is an ACVECC Diplomat. Her special interests include fluid therapy, acid-base disorders, acute kidney injury and acute toxicology. Claudia shares her pretty wooden floor apartment with a crazy tricolor austrian cat and two street dogs. Claudia is a devote Yogi and Snowboarder.