Laser surgery is a revolutionary technique that minimizes bleeding and swelling during surgery and results in dramatically reduced pain and discomfort post operatively
Laser Surgery - Less Pain for your Pet
Laser surgery has been widely accepted as a higher standard of care in human medicine for over 30 years. It presents a host of benefits over traditional surgery, and in many procedures, they can replace the scalpel entirely.
What are the benefits of laser surgery?
Less Bleeding
The Laser seals small blood vessels during surgery. Because there is less bleeding, surgery is often completed more quickly thus reducing the amount of time your pet will be under anesthesia. This further reduces potential complications.
Reduced Swelling & Infection
Physical contact between the laser and the surgical region is never established, thus eliminating the crushing, tearing and bruising of tissue associated with traditional surgical methods. Additionally, the CO2 laser energy acts as an antimicrobial/antibacterial agent by producing high temperatures, effectively eliminating microorganisms.
Less Pain
The laser seals nerve endings as it "cuts." As a result, your pet will experience less pain and be more comfortable after surgery.
Quick Return to Normal Activities
Healing is rapid and there is less post-operative discomfort and a better course of healing.
Cat Declaw. Laser surgical technology is ideally suited for this otherwise potentially painful surgery. Cats that are declawed using laser experience significantly reduced pain and swelling over the older, previous methods. Post-operatively, the cats are walking on the surgical sites. Now, with this new technology, most of our patients are running and playing like nothing happened soon afterwards. Laser declaw will soon become the only standard and accepted technique offering a humane and painless alternative to this otherwise painful surgery.
Breed specific surgeries.
Soft palate resection. Many breeds of dogs, such as Bulldogs, Pugs, Boston Terriers, and Boxers are prone to an elongation of the soft palate that is best corrected with laser surgery. This abnormality can lead to advanced respiratory disease characterized by noisy, loud breathing, snoring and coughing. Prior to the advent of laser surgery, a great deal of bleeding and post surgical swelling was common, sometimes leading to serious complications. Laser correction of soft palate elongation has dramatically reduced this risk.
Everted laryngeal saccules. This is a common secondary problem to soft palate elongation but can also be a primary problem in some breeds, such as the Norwich Terrier. Laser surgery offers tremendous benefit to the correction of everted saccules- less bleeding and less post operative swelling. This allows these patients to return to normal faster.
Stenotic Nares. Commonly occurring in the Pugs, Boston Terriers, Shih Tzu, and other breeds, this restriction of the nostril openings can cause a lot of distress to affected dogs. During inspiration, the openings can actually collapse. Laser enlargement of the nares (nostril openings) can open the airways and greatly improve the comfort of these patients.
Gingival Hyperplasia. Boxers are likely to have hyperplasia (over growth) of the gum tissue as they age. The gums become swollen, thickened, inflamed and eventually can engulf the teeth. This can lead to dental decay and abscess formation. Because of pain reduction after laser surgery, these dogs are able to return to normal faster and are usually able to eat a soft diet the evening of surgery.
Entropion. Although common in many breeds of dogs, this condition is frequently seen in the Shar Pei, Retriever, Dane and hound groups. Entropion is an inner rolling of the eye lids that causes rubbing of the hair or eye lashes on the cornea which is very painful. Laser correction allows for pinpoint accuracy in the proper alignment of the lid relative to the eye. It also results in minimal scarring. It is so successful in that regard that it is usually difficult to tell that it was done.
General Soft Tissue Surgeries.
Routine Surgeries. Spay and neuter surgery can be less stressful and uncomfortable for our patients with the use of the laser. Even though we still use our pain management program (there is still pulling and tugging associated with the procedure), our patients are more pain free and comfortable following their surgery. They bounce back faster.
Lumps and Bumps. Laser assisted removal of growths, moles, warts and surface irregularities can be ablated by laser and often require only local analgesia. Larger growths and tumors are amenable to laser as well and yields less disruption to surrounding tissues and swelling. Laser is especially beneficial in situations near the eye or involving the eye lids because of its accuracy and its ability to result in less scarring.
Ear Hematoma. New techniques incorporating the surgical laser are now available for ear hematoma correction that lead to less distortion to the ear flap following surgery. Older, outdated procedures would often leave the ear hopelessly disfigured or have a high rate of recurrence.
Non-elective Abdominal Surgery. Many types of abdominal procedures can be performed with the surgical laser including biopsies, cystotomies , mastectomies and many others. This will lead to fewer postsurgical complications, less bleeding and a faster recovery.
