The authors José María Carbonell Tatay Dr Carbonell graduated in veterinary medicine from the University of Córdoba, Spain, in 1989. He founded the Taibaira Small Animal Veterinary Hospital in Teulada–Moraira (Alicante) in 1989 and is still the owner, manager, and currently the head of general surgery and traumatology. He is also a co-owner of the La Nao de Jávea veterinary practice in Alicante. He dedicates his time in the clinic exclusively to small animal surgery. In the field of hernia repair, Dr Carbonell has pioneered the use of surgical meshes and created the mesh– plug technique for use in animals. He has participated in seminars and courses, published articles in various national journals, and is a coauthor of Manual de suturas en veterinaria (Veterinary suture handbook) published by Editorial Servet (2007) and author of La pesca deportiva del atún rojo (Recreational tuna fishing) published by Tutor (2013). He currently focuses entirely on small animal clinical medicine, particularly on surgery.