As a pet owner, you want the absolute best for them. When surgery is required, minimizing pain and promoting quick recovery are important aspects. Laser surgery for pets is an advanced veterinary technique offering distinct benefits. It can reduce pain, minimize bleeding, accelerate healing, and potentially lower the risk of complications during and after surgical procedures. If your pet requires surgery, understanding the advantages of laser surgery could significantly improve their overall experience.

What is laser surgery for pets?

Traditional surgery relies on scalpels to make incisions. Laser surgery, on the other hand, uses a highly focused beam of light. This light acts as a cutting tool, vaporizing tissue with extreme precision. While there are different types of lasers, we primarily use a CO2 (carbon dioxide) laser for soft tissue surgeries in pets.

How it works and the benefits for pets:

  • Reduced pain: The laser's energy seals nerve endings as it cuts, minimizing both intraoperative and postoperative pain.
  • Reduced bleeding: The laser cauterizes (seals) blood vessels as it operates, leading to significantly less blood loss during surgery.
  • Faster healing: The precision of the laser causes less damage to surrounding tissues, promoting faster healing times.
  • Lower risk of infection: The laser beam's heat sterilizes the surgical area, reducing the chances of infection setting in.

Common procedures performed with the surgical laser

Laser surgery is versatile and used in a range of veterinary procedures. Here are some of the most common procedures that I use it for:

Routine procedures

  • Spay and neuter procedures: Laser surgery can make these procedures less invasive, reducing pain and promoting faster recovery times for your pet. We can often perform a spay or neuter without any blood loss with the laser.
  • Tumor and mass removal: The precision of lasers is especially beneficial when removing growths, reducing damage to healthy surrounding tissue. Many growths often have small blood vessels, which the laser can easily seal off to minimize bleeding.
  • Dental procedures: Laser surgery is increasingly used in dental procedures for pets, such as gingivectomy (treating gingival hyperplasia for example) and oral tumor removals.
Laser surgery in pets
We are performing a spay surgery with laser surgery

Specialized surgeries

  • Soft palate excision: In brachycephalic breeds (like French Bulldogs or Pugs) their soft palate is often elongated due to their short snouts. Laser is advantageous as often there is no need to suture the cut end and no bleeding.
  • Stenotic nares correction: Widens narrowed nostrils (also common in brachycephalic breeds) in cases of stenotic nares. Laser surgery is a minimally invasive way to widen their nasal passages and improve their breathing.
  • Cherry eye repair: Cherry eye is a condition where a gland in the third eyelid pops out of place, irritating the eye. We use the surgical laser to create a pocket in the third eyelid to tuck the gland back into.
  • Distichiasis removal: Addresses a condition where extra eyelashes grow abnormally, often irritating the corneal which can lead to corneal ulcers.
  • Entropion repair: Corrects inward rolling eyelids, or entropion, preventing eyelashes from scratching the cornea. Laser correction here can reduce a long incision that would normally otherwise be made.

As you can see, laser surgery offers many benefits for various procedures, making it a valuable tool for your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will assess if laser surgery is the most appropriate approach for your pet's specific procedure and medical history.

Is laser surgery right for your pet?

While laser surgery offers significant benefits, it's important to understand that not every procedure is best suited for this approach. Some complex surgeries might still require traditional methods.

Additionally, laser surgery can be slightly more expensive than conventional surgery. However, the reduced pain, faster healing, and lowered risk of complications often make it a worthwhile investment for pet owners.

The best way to determine if laser surgery is right for your pet is to have a conversation with your veterinary team. They can assess your pet's specific needs, discuss the procedure in detail, and help you weigh the pros and cons of both laser and traditional surgery.

In conclusion, laser surgery represents a forward-thinking option in veterinary care, offering numerous advantages such as reduced pain, minimal bleeding, and expedited recovery times for pets. From addressing common eye conditions like cherry eye and distichiasis to correcting more complex issues such as stenotic nares and elongated soft palates, laser technology has proven to be an effective and valuable tool. If you are in the Kitchener area and would like to explore laser surgery for your pet, please contact us as we'd be happy to discuss it with you.