Cutting edge technology can help lessen discomfort, send pets home sooner. Fortunately; most of our pets will only undergo one surgery during their lifetimes. But, pet owners want to make sure this single surgical event is as painless as possible for their beloved animals. Today, high tech equipment used in human surgeries may give your dog’s spay a new twist!
Many people benefit from the use of laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery in human medicine. From removing gall bladders to dealing with obesity, laparoscopy is commonplace at many outpatient surgical facilities. Veterinarians are turning to these techniques and adapting them to their patients as well.
The biggest benefit to laparoscopic surgery is the reduced need for large incisions in the abdomen. Although many veterinarians routinely spay dogs with incisions less than three inches in length, some larger breeds may need an incision that is six or even eight inches long. With laparoscopes, veterinarians can spay a dog with just two incisions, each less than an inch in length!
Minimizing the size of the incision also benefits the pet because smaller incisions mean less pain and shorter recovery times. One small study showed that pets spayed with a laparoscope needed less pain relief medications than their counterparts spayed via traditional methods.
Laparoscopic surgery can also save lives! Many breeds, such as Great Danes, are prone to a painful and life-threatening twisting of the stomach known as “bloat”. With a laparoscope, veterinarians can quickly perform a procedure to prevent the twisting of the dog’s stomach and avoid conventional exploratory surgery to tack the stomach to the abdominal wall.
This truly leading edge technology is not available everywhere. Advocates anticipate that the use of laparoscopes will continue to increase as pet owners strive to provide the highest level of care for their pets. Ask your veterinarian about the availability of minimally invasive surgery in your area.
