Hi there, I’m Camila Souza, the creator of SurgeMate Pro, and founder of Wise Surgeon.

I am a veterinary surgeon, born and raised in Brazil, with advanced training in equine surgery from the USA. I’m also boarded in Large Animal Surgery by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

After graduating from veterinary school at the University of São Paulo in Brazil in 2008, I moved to the United States to pursue advanced training in equine surgery. I began my journey at Washington State University in 2010 and have since worked in both academic and private practice settings.

Now that you know my credentials and we are done with this boring topic, let me tell you more about why I created SurgeMate Pro.

For the longest time, I believed that the only way to make a significant impact on horse health was to become a ‘world-class surgeon’ focused on developing new surgical implants and techniques. Over time, though, I realized that this path would take waaaay too long to have the impact I hoped for. What good is a cutting-edge implant or technique if only a select few can perform or afford it? Don’t get me wrong—such innovations are important and eventually become mainstream, but that process requires significant time and resources.

What if the greatest impact came from the everyday surgeries dedicated surgeons perform worldwide? Imagine if we could help surgeons enhance their skills and reduce complications. Could this make a more substantial difference in horse health than a high-tech implant available to only a few? I believe it can.

The outcome of surgery depends on a lot of factors, but knowing and understanding each surgical step is key to success. Unfortunately, there are certain surgeries that equine surgeons don’t get to practice very often. We might go months or even years without performing a specific procedure, requiring constant review to stay sharp. Typically, we rely on textbooks and articles to refresh our memory, but they’re usually long, text-heavy, and short on visuals -- making them hard to digest, especially after long days and sleepless nights. During my residency, I sometimes fell asleep over textbooks, only to forget key points during surgery despite having studied them the night before. Have you ever felt this frustration and been disappointed with your performance despite your efforts?

Despite these challenges, our patients depend on us to perform at our best and minimize mistakes. While we can’t always control how often we perform certain surgeries, there must be a better way to stay prepared and keep our skills sharp. Imagine a resource that’s easy to access and saves time—something that not only simplifies the review process but also helps us fully understand and retain each step. With the right tools, we could spend less time struggling through dense material and more time confidently preparing for surgery, ultimately improving outcomes for our patients.

Wise Surgeon and SurgeMate Pro were born from my desire to help as many horses as possible and the realization that I can’t do it alone. This educational initiative was created to provide surgical content in a practical and innovative format to support veterinary surgeons like you.

To truly impact the health of horses, it’s not enough to have a few world-class surgeons with advanced techniques and implants; we need skilled surgeons worldwide to perform at their best and help as many horses as possible. To bring this vision to life, I partnered with experienced surgeons to leverage their expertise, curating surgical content designed to help you become the best you can be.

I’m excited about the amazing impact we can have on the lives of horses together. I hope you’ll join me in making this vision a reality.

Yours truly,
Camila