Laser Surgery for Pets

Technology in the veterinary profession is advancing rapidly and dictating ever higher standards of care for our patients. We are happy to announce that we are now providing Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Laser Surgery for our patients at Maple Springs Veterinary Hospital, and we am proud that we are one of the first hospitals in the area to do so. What is the technology behind a laser? Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. With our Accuvet CO2 Laser, radio waves stimulate CO2 molecules to give off photons. These photons are released in the form of light. This energy exits the laser unit and is delivered to the tissue through a pencil-like laser hand piece.

Why use laser surgery for pets? A few years ago when we began to hear about laser surgery in veterinary medicine, we thought that a laser would simply be an expensive replacement for a scalpel. However, after further research and actually observing a laser surgery, our minds quickly changed. Most importantly, laser surgery causes significantly less pain for the patient. The laser seals nerve endings while it cuts, therefore reducing post-operative pain. Decreased pain also means that lower amounts of anesthetics are often needed. The laser seals lymphatic tissue, which causes less swelling, making healing more comfortable. The laser seals small blood vessels while it cuts, causing less bleeding. This decreased bleeding not only benefits the patient, but also provides the surgeon with a clear surgery field, which often will decrease the length of the surgery. A shorter surgery time means the patient will require less anesthesia. Also, the laser sterilizes as it cuts and only the laser beam touches the tissue, therefore there is less risk of infection.