Meet the Team At Midwest Veterinary Surgery
Kari Swanson, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS-SA
Board-Certified Veterinary Surgeon
Dr. Kari Swanson received her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana in 2013. She completed her rotating internship at the University of Missouri in 2014 before completing her surgical internship at the Dallas Veterinary Surgical Center in 2015. She then returned to the University of Illinois to complete her small animal surgical residency and Master’s Degree in Veterinary Clinical Medicine in 2018. Following residency, she and her family moved to Cincinnati, OH, where Dr. Swanson spent 3.5 years in a large multi-specialty referral hospital performing soft tissue, oncologic, orthopedic, and neurologic surgeries. Dr. Swanson became board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2020. Immediately prior to starting MVS, Dr. Swanson spent time working in various specialty referral hospitals across the Midwest.
Dr. Swanson was born and raised in Illinois and is a Midwesterner at heart. Her greatest motivation for founding Midwest Veterinary Surgery, LLC was to make high-quality specialty veterinary surgery more accessible to communities throughout the Midwest while also cultivating strong, collaborative relationships with the referring veterinary community. Dr. Swanson enjoys surgery because she gets joy out of being able to make an immediate difference in the lives of animals by improving their quality of life while strengthening the human-animal bond. Within this specialty, Dr. Swanson particularly enjoys orthopedics, neurosurgery, and physical rehabilitation. In her spare time, Dr. Swanson enjoys cooking, baking, crocheting, reading, being outdoors, and spending time with her family.
Karen Henle, Registered Veterinary Technician
Karen Henle is a Registered Veterinary Technician who has worked in specialty veterinary medicine for nearly 12 years. She began her career in surgery and has since gained extensive experience assisting in soft tissue, orthopedic, neurologic, and surgical oncology procedures. Over the years, Karen has developed a strong interest in surgical nursing, anesthesia, client communication, and mentoring. She finds fulfillment in supporting both patients and their families through the surgical process.
Karen enjoys the collaborative nature of specialty medicine, especially working alongside surgeons and veterinary teams to provide the highest level of care. She takes pride in being part of a field where she can make a meaningful difference every day—helping animals heal while also supporting the humans who love them.
Karen lives with her partner and their three dogs, who keep her both busy and entertained. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, tending to her houseplants, and building Lego sets.