Photo by Sydney Cromwell
Dr. Tony Ballagas in a surgical room at Veterinary Surgery of Birmingham, which will relocate to a facility on U.S. 280 in January.
Dr. Tony Ballagas’ veterinary surgery practice outgrew its facility on Acton Road several years ago. In early January, he will relocate to U.S. 280 to expand his space and his services for pets.
Veterinary Surgery of Birmingham started in 1995 and Ballagas joined the clinic in 2004, taking over management of the business in 2016. Ballagas grew up around farm animals and graduated from Auburn University’s veterinary medicine program, later teaching there for several years, and his wife, Dr. Ashley Ballagas, is also a vet at a Homewood clinic.
“It’s the only job I’ve ever thought I wanted to do,” Tony Ballagas said.
At Veterinary Surgery of Birmingham, he offers a number of procedures, mostly for orthopedic, soft tissue and neurology cases. He typically practices on dogs and cats, but he has been called on for exotic animal surgeries at times. During his time at Auburn and in Birmingham, this included zoo animals such as a crocodile, lemurs, spider monkeys, a liger (lion-tiger hybrid), kudu antelope and a kangaroo.
“Bones are bones and soft tissues are soft tissues, so in many of those situations, it’s really not different between species how you would repair. Now, how you deal with them afterward or anesthetically would be a lot different,” Tony Ballagas said.
For several years, his clinic has shared space with multiple other veterinary medical practices, including animal emergency services, ophthalmology, dermatology, behavior and internal medicine, in a building at 2864 Acton Road.
“We try to shuffle around the four functional exam rooms, so it’s just used very heavily 24 hours a day,” he said.
He and his wife said it has been challenging to limit their space for procedures and after-surgery care, as well as the hours they can admit patients. Currently, Tony Ballagas said he can only receive pets in the morning and perform surgeries in the afternoon.
“It makes for a long day. You know, you’ll see 20-plus people in the morning and do all the surgeries in the afternoon,” he said.
The new home of Veterinary Surgery of Birmingham is located at 146 Resource Parkway on U.S. 280, behind the former Roger’s Trading Company building. Tony Ballagas said his practice will expand from 2,800 to about 11,500 square feet, which makes room for nine exam rooms, four surgery rooms, 10 treatment tables and separate intermediate and intensive care areas, plus space to grow.
He will also more than double his staff, which includes three surgeons and 15 employees right now, and have a space dedicated to continuing education.
Tony Ballagas said the new space will allow him to offer more diagnostic tools, such as arthroscopy, endoscopy and laparoscopy. He is looking forward to having more flexibility in scheduling exams and procedures, he said, and the improved work environment.
The biggest change, however, will be the addition of night and weekend emergency services, with doctors and technicians on-site 24 hours a day. He said he would like to make expansions in the future to add ophthalmology, internal medicine and other related fields.
Tony Ballagas said pet owners are referred from around the Southeast to his clinic because of the level of service and skill he provides. The location on 280 should be easier to access for some of his long-distance patients.
“One of the most important things to us is just accessibility. We try to be accessible not only to the clients but to the doctors,” he said.
The move also fills a need for animal surgery services in that area of Birmingham, he said.
“We try to provide the service that you may not get at other facilities that do what we do,” he said.
“He’s top-notch. He’s not going to brag on himself but he really is,” Ashley Ballagas said.
Learn more about Veterinary Surgery of Birmingham at vetsurgerybirmingham.com.
