Surgery

The surgery department of the Chicago Veterinary Specialty Group (CVSG) is proud to be affiliated with the Chicago Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center (CVESC). Our experienced surgeons work as an extension of referring family veterinarians and in concert with the other specialists at CVESC to provide the highest quality of care to our patients. Clear communication with the pet owners and referring veterinarians is one of our top priorities.

Jeff Brourman, DVM, MS, DACVS

Dr. Brourman is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of the CVSG surgery department as well as the WestVet Animal Emergency and Specialty Center located in Boise, Idaho. A graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Brourman began research early on in his training with the Division of Cardiothoracic and Heart Transplant Surgery. After completing veterinary school, Dr. Brourman pursued a small animal internship at Michigan State University, followed by a three year surgical residency back at Ohio State where he also earned a Master’s of Science degree. Since becoming board certified in small animal surgery in 2003, he was one of only a few people in the country to perform open-heart surgery on animals using cardiopulmonary bypass. Dr. Brourman has an extensive interest in joint reconstruction and joint replacement, and is part of the team that performed the first hip resurfacing procedure in a dog. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Brourman is a consultant for Securos Orthopedic International where he is involved in development and design, as well as serving as a clinical instructor for veterinarians on a national and international level. He has also been a locum instructor for the University of California Davis College of Veterinary Medicine and continues to satisfy academic interests through ongoing research in TTA and TPLO knee surgery, and the hip resurfacing procedure.

Dr. Brourman, his wife and their three children love living in Boise where they enjoy fly fishing, bike riding and camping. Dr. Brourman travels to Chicago on a monthly basis to see patients and perform advanced orthopedic procedures.

 

Aaron M. Jackson, DVM, DACVS

Dr. Jackson is the Surgical Department Head and has been with CVSG since its establishment in 2010. After graduating from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 1998, he completed a one year internship in medicine and surgery at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Jackson stayed in Tennessee for his three year surgical residency became board-certified in small animal veterinary surgery in 2006. Dr. Jackson has particular interests in airway surgery and has published papers on laryngeal paralysis and co-authored a chapter in Slatter’s Textbook of Small Animal Surgery. He also finds complex skin reconstruction, knee surgery and advanced cardiovascular procedures a rewarding challenge. A familiar face in the veterinary community, Dr. Jackson has been practicing medicine in the Chicagoland area since 2002. Dr. Jackson leads the surgery department with a team approach, ensuring each case works closely with the primary care veterinarian and client, from initial consultation and diagnosis, to surgery, recovery and follow up care. He is a member of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society, the Veterinary Society of Surgical Oncology, Chicago and Illinois State Veterinary Medical Associations, and the AVMA.

Dr. Jackson and his three children call the Northwest suburbs home where together they enjoy cooking, especially BBQ, and build rocket ships. When he’s not spending time with his family, Dr. Jackson can be found at the gym, reading, building computers and teaching himself to play the guitar.

 

 

Adam Prink, DVM, DACVS

Dr. Prink joined the surgery department of CVSG in February 2013. He graduated from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005, and went on to complete a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Following a 3 year residency in surgery at the University of California – Davis, Dr. Prink became board certified in small animal surgery in 2010 and worked in private practice in Northern Virginia and the San Francisco Bay Area. He has given numerous presentations on reconstructive procedures, osteochondrosis dissecans, cranial cruciate ligament disease, and elbow dysplasia. He has also published his research on mast cell tumors and medial coronoid disease in Veterinary and Comparative Oncology and Veterinary Surgery, respectively. Dr. Prink endeavors to maintain the most up to date surgical knowledge. He attends regular conferences and has been trained in several advanced surgical techniques including the Canine Unicompartmental Elbow (CUE) procedure and arthroscopy. Dr. Prink is a member of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society, Chicago and Illinois State Veterinary Medical Associations, and the AVMA.

Dr. Prink and his wife, who is a veterinary neurologist, enjoy living in the city of Chicago with their son. However, whenever he can get out of the city, Dr. Prink is an outdoorsman and enjoys skiing, hiking, running, and cycling to stay active.

 

David Silliman, DVM, Practice Limited to Surgery

Dr. Silliman is a residency-trained small animal surgeon who joined the Chicago Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center team in 2015.  Originally from North Carolina, Dr. Silliman attended North Carolina State University where he was awarded both a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science and a Bachelor of Science in Zoology in 2005.  Following his graduation, Dr. Silliman went on to attend Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine where he was awarded a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 2010.  Dr. Silliman has since completed both a yearlong small animal rotating internship and surgical internship, as well as a three-year surgical residency at Veterinary Specialty Center in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.

Although experienced in all areas of small animal surgery, Dr. Silliman maintains a particular interest in minimally invasive soft tissue procedures, as well as orthopedic surgeries and advanced surgical techniques.  Outside of the operating room, Dr. Silliman is focused on providing comprehensive patient care, based on his personal philosophy of compassion, commitment, communication and teamwork, with patient quality of life always remaining of the utmost importance.  When he is not busy caring for his patients, Dr. Silliman enjoys camping, hiking and fishing, as well as spending time with family and friends.

 

Molly Shepard, DVM, DACVAA, CCRP, cVMA

Dr. Shepard is a board-certified anesthesiologist who joined the Chicago Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center team in 2015.  She is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, where she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2007.  Following veterinary school, Dr. Shepard went on to complete a yearlong Rotating Internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery and a three-year Residency in Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, before completing her board-certification in 2012.

In addition to her board-certification in small animal anesthesia and analgesia, Dr. Shepard is certified in both canine rehabilitation (CCRP) and veterinary medical acupuncture (cVMA).  Due to her multiple certifications, Dr. Shepard will be spending time working with patients undergoing anesthesia at Chicago Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center and providing physical rehabilitation and acupuncture services at our partner facility, PawsitivEnergy Rehabilitation Center.

When not working with patients, Dr. Shepard enjoys spending time with her family and two dogs!