All About Veterinary Laser Surgery
Laser surgery in pets may sound like pretty advanced stuff, but at All Critters Veterinary Hospital, it is just one more example of how we work to bring the best to all of our patients. When we use state of the art technology like laser surgery in pets, we offer all of our animal patients the safest and best that veterinary medicine has to offer.
Understanding Laser Surgery in Pets
Once a thing of science fiction movies, lasers (an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) abound in modern society. From hair removal to barcode scanners, we use lasers every day.
The use of lasers in medicine has been around in the human realm for several decades. It is becoming increasingly popular in veterinary medicine as well.
In the surgical realm, we use a CO2 laser, which delivers a beam of light through a flexible guide called a fiber. This focused light is forced through a handpiece that allows for accurate delivery to a small area of tissue in the surgical field. This powerful light energy is then able to be used as a scalpel, cutting tissue during surgery.
We can utilize laser surgery in pets for a wide variety of procedures. Common procedures that we can perform with a surgical laser include:
- Mass removals
- Spay
- Neuter
- Bladder surgery
- Airway surgery
- Limb amputations
- Wound debridement
- Oral surgery
The list goes on and on!
Benefits Abound
Laser surgery in pets offers many benefits over traditional surgical techniques. These can include:
- Decreased trauma to tissue
- Less pain after surgery
- Better control of bleeding
- Reduced swelling
- Increased speed of healing
- Lower infection risk
- Decreased scarring
In general, recovery from laser surgery is faster with less time needed for aftercare. Risks of laser surgery are fairly minimal. Any time we utilize such a powerful tool, precautions must be taken to protect our team from inadvertent exposure to the skin and eyes. Surgical lasers also require an evacuation system to remove airborne contaminants from the environment during use.
If you have questions about laser surgery for pets or would like to learn more about how this surgical technique might benefit your four-legged friend, please contact us. Providing top quality care is our priority, and we would love to share our abilities with you.