Case STUDY- Ball Ball

Ball Ball is back home!

Sometimes, the most important decisions in veterinary medicine are also the most difficult.

Ball Ball was diagnosed with a very large liver-associated mass, highly suspicious for hepatocellular carcinoma. Advanced imaging (CT scan) gave us crucial information about its size, extent and relationship with surrounding organs — but one major uncertainty remained: we could not know with complete confidence exactly where the tumour was originating from, or precisely what we would find once surgery began.

For Ball Ball’s family, this meant making an incredibly difficult decision.

Do we proceed with a major operation when some important questions can only be answered during surgery? Or do we decide that the uncertainty and potential complexity are simply too great?

This is where specialist expertise can make a critical difference.

Complex surgery is not only about performing a planned procedure. It is about being prepared for the unexpected — understanding the anatomy, recognising what is possible, adapting the surgical strategy to the findings in real time, and being equipped to manage the different scenarios that may be encountered.

Ball Ball’s owners sought the expertise of our specialist surgeon Dr François Saulnier and, after careful discussion of the uncertainties, risks and potential benefits, made the brave decision to proceed.

During surgery, the tumour was found to have formed severe, organised adhesions to several important structures, including the stomach, pancreas and duodenum. Careful and challenging dissection was required to completely remove the mass.

And today, we are delighted to say:

"Ball Ball is back home"!

Her recovery and histopathology results still need to be monitored closely, but reaching this point is already a very important milestone.

We are extremely grateful to Ball Ball’s family for their trust — and for having the courage to make a difficult decision when there could be no absolute certainty beforehand.

Cases like Ball Ball’s remind us why access to specialist veterinary care matters: not because specialists can remove uncertainty, but because they can help families navigate it, prepare for complexity, and give patients the best possible chance when difficult decisions have to be made.

Well done, Ball Ball. We wish you a long and happy healthy life without a tumour.